Dark Waltz
by Moonchild707
Summary: After being orphaned at 6, Isabella Swan was separated from her only remaining family. Ten years later, Bella is reunited with her siblings and a new foster family. With secrets in her past and a rocky road to recovery, Bella strives for normalcy, routine, and the strength only a family can give. A story of love, healing, redemption and growth. AH, dark themes.
1. Prologue

**Dark Waltz- Preface**

**Hello again! It's been a LONG time since I've posted anything, but at last, I've decided to post something new. This is the preface for Dark Waltz, which is currently has about seven chapters completed. Hopefully I'll see some familiar reviewers coming back!**

**This story deals with dark themes and some general unpleasantness, so keep that in mind as you read. NOTHING here is based on true events either, which contrasts my other stories with darker themes (DITR, Rescue Me...) It is also an AH story, so no vampires here. AND! Although one of the genres is romance, that will come into play later on... we need to get Bella sorted out first. **

**Enjoy!**

BPOV

Panic overcame me as I felt the leather straps wrap around my wrists, fastening me to the metal table I was being held on. The leather stretched to its limit, making a horrible squeaking noise as a strong, overwhelming stinging sensation shot from my wrists, all the way up my arms.

The blindfold shifted, letting in a strong blast of harsh, white light.

"None of that, doll," said the Doctor, his large hand reaching up to cover my eyes once more.

I screamed as loudly as I could, the sound piercing and shrill as it echoed off of the concrete walls. The Doctor ignored my cries and moved down to my thrashing feet, easily restraining first one, then the other as he fastened them with straps identical to those around my wrists.

The blindfold came off again, and I cried out as the light assaulted me from every possible angle.

The room seemed to be made of nothing _but _light.

The Doctor had his back to me as he adjusted some of his equipment on his tray, and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. My lungs were working as hard as they could as I brought in great gasps of air, trying as hard as I possibly could to free myself from these bonds.

I needed out.

"Now, doll, you know how things work," he chastised, sounding quite put out with my behavior. "Just a little pinch."

I screamed.

Sighing loudly, he snapped on a pair of rubber gloves, picking up the all-too familiar needle and tubing. I could feel the hot, salty tears flowing down my cheeks before they hit the metal table beneath me with soft _plops. _

He took the needle and slid it into the vein in the crook of my arm before he attached the tubing and taped it in securely.

"Please…" I gasped out, earning me a small smile.

"Please what?" he asked lightly, looking amused as he grabbed a bag of medication- the stinging solution.

Speech evaded me as I turned my head away, trying to pull myself free. He didn't ask again before he hooked up the clear fluid.

Almost instantaneously the burn started, and I screamed again.

**A/N: So there we have it- the preface. If there's enough interest, I'll post the first real chapter later on this week.**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think, and if you haven't already, please head on over to my profile and take part in the poll!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 1**

**A/N: Great response to the prologue! I'm glad you're enjoying it... :)**

**This story is going to be what I call a "revealing story", meaning that most of Bella's past will be revealed in pieces as the story proceeds. This is my first story where her past won't be included in the beginning of the story (in DITR, the abuse scenes happened in the first few chapters, same with Rescue Me). I'll reveal what she's been through as we go along, and hopefully you'll like it!**

**This is your update for the week, since I have a funeral to go to out of town today... no updates after this one until later!**

**Enjoy!**

BPOV

The leather seats of this car were making me nervous.

We were speeding quickly down the highway, the black government car cruising easily down the dark asphalt as it brought me away from the SeaTac Airport. Two people- a man and a woman- were sitting together in the front seat, both quiet and very professional-looking.

Luckily, the man was dark-haired.

"Isabella?" asked the lady, Danielle. I glanced up carefully as she smiled at me, looking both sad and sympathetic.

"Are you alright back there?"

"Yes," I stammered quickly, watching her carefully. Her hair was pulled back in a bun as she nodded gently, watching me for a moment longer before she turned around.

"Turn here," she said softly to the man driving, causing the car to lean to the left as he made the turn towards our destination.

"Were almost there," she said kindly, looking at me again.

I nodded, shifting carefully in my seat as I tried not to focus on the fact that they were made of leather.

I hated leather.

"Do you remember where we're going?" asked Danielle, glancing back yet again.

I nodded quickly.

"Forks," she said, ignoring my nod. "Did they tell you anything about your new family?"

"No," I said honestly, thinking back to my time in the hospital.

I'd been brought into the hospital nearly two months ago now, and after that, the Doctor had never come back and I'd met with countless women and men just like Danielle and the mysterious driver. FBI agents, social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, and…

…doctors.

Those were never good experiences, and after the first meeting, the head nurse was in charge of administering all my treatment.

No IVs, no pills, and definitely no ropes.

I'd been told by the FBI lady that I was now in the hands of the government, and that I would be going to a small town called Forks in northern Washington.

I had no idea where Washington was, or _what_ it was, but I didn't really care.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen are going to take you," said Danielle carefully, watching me closely.

The car turned again, and I leaned into the door.

"They're very nice people," she decided.

I nodded quietly, not letting Danielle see my fear.

Maybe she had a needle on her somewhere…

"Are you okay?" she asked concernedly.

"Yes," I said quickly, turning towards the window.

Cullen.

I'd never heard that name before, but the idea of "mister" Cullen had me shaking in my seat.

"They have five other children," continued Danielle easily. "Three sons and two daughters, all a bit older than you."

I froze.

Three sons and one "mister"… four?

"The youngest child is seventeen," she said, consulting her papers. "The oldest is almost twenty."

I tried to tune her out, making her frown.

"Do you remember anyone from your childhood?" she asked me suddenly, making me frown.

My childhood…

"No," I said honestly, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment.

"No one?" she asked sadly. "Not your parents or anything?"

"No," I repeated quietly, trying not to let her see my coming tears.

I hated tears… they seemed to come all the time now, and always with an intense feeling of sadness and anxiety.

"You have siblings," she said quietly, watching me carefully for my reaction. "A brother and a sister."

I frowned guiltily.

"Emmett and Alice?" she prompted.

"No," I said again, shaking my head quickly.

I remembered nothing from before the age of ten.

"You were only six last time you saw them," said Danielle reasonably. "It's been ten years."

"Oh."

"The two of them live here too."

I stared at her for a long moment before I simply fell silent, closing my eyes.

One large, fat, salty tear fell from my eye and rolled down my cheek, landing softly on my lap. I watched as it seeped through the fabric of my new pants, creating a small, circular patch of moisture.

Danielle fell silent as she sighed softly, looking sad again.

Alice and Emmett… the names sounded vaguely familiar, and I suddenly matched the names to two anonymous faces in my mind.

I remembered.

_"Hurry up, Boo!" shouted a loud, boisterous voice as my little feet ran forward quickly, catching on something in the grass. I fell flat on my front, knocking the breath out of me before another, much higher voice screamed._

_"Bella!" shouted a girl worriedly as two hands wrapped around my arms and helped me to my feet. "Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah." came a small voice, one I knew was coming from this little version of me._

_"Good."_

_The face suddenly became visible, and a small girl stood before me, a bit taller than me. She had chocolaty eyes and very delicate features, with her short hair fanned out in all directions._

_"Emmett!" she hollered angrily, turning on her heel to glare at the boy a few feet ahead of us. He was much larger than this girl- Alice, I believed- and myself, and was looking very sheepish._

_"Sorry Boo." he said sincerely, glancing at me with a small grin._

_He had to be at least nine years old…_

_"She's only five, and she can't run as fast as you!" shouted little Alice loudly, her hands on her hips._

_"Yeah, yeah." said Emmett indifferently, turning as he bolted through the grass, straight to the playground ahead of us. "She's fine!" he called back._

_"He's a dork." said Alice angrily, taking my little hand in her own before she walked slowly with me towards the playground to join Emmett._

_I suddenly felt a burst of joy as the slide came into view- my favorite part of the park…_

With a small sigh, the memory cut itself off and I cursed silently, wishing it could have lasted longer.

Were those two my siblings?

"Isabella?" asked Danielle, watching me again.

Everyone watched me, all the time.

"Sorry," I said quickly, trying to focus on not staring off into space.

"It's alright," she said quickly before she turned towards the front, where we were coming into the new, anticipated town.

There was a sign before us, and with my very limited ability, I managed to make out the words on it.

Welcome to Forks!

My ability to read was very limited, as was my ability to write. I'd been tested in the hospital.

"This is the town, Isabella," said the driver, speaking to me for the first time since the airport.

It startled me, and I jumped violently.

He fell silent, seeing my reaction, and simply watched the road in front of us, driving carefully through the little town. I saw buildings and other things similar to those I'd seen outside the hospital and outside the airport…

So different than the Institute.

Before long, though, we were on a road between trees again, and I was confused.

I thought I was going to Forks? Why had we gone past the town now?

A pang of fear hit me, and I felt myself breaking out into a cold sweat, but before it could escalate, the man in the driver's seat slowed down, and the car turned sharply to the right.

"Weird driveway," he noted quietly, slowing down as the road changed from smooth asphalt to a long brick path.

"It's secluded," noted Danielle.

Silence followed, and I sat stiffly in my seat, keeping my back off of the leather.

"Are you alright?" asked Danielle again.

"Yes."

"If you're sure," she said softly, sounding doubtful.

I watched, on edge, as the path wound through the trees, ending at a large clearing. In the middle of a large patch of well-kept grass was a large house, three stories high with many windows. The front door was very large as well, made of dark wood with a large brass handle on it. The man parked the car in one of the many available spots beside a red, roofless car, parking carefully.

"We're here," he said quietly, unbuckling his seatbelt carefully. Danielle copied him quickly and got out of her seat, leaving me tense and buckled in in the backseat. Danielle moved over to my door as the man went to the front door of the house, knocking professionally.

"Come on, sweetheart," said Danielle as she knelt next to me, knowing how nervous I was.

I'd met with her a few times before now, and she knew I was a nervous person.

"I don't want to," I said quietly, speaking the truth for the first time. The man who had driven me here disappeared inside the large home, and I grew even more worried.

"Honey, this is your new home. You have to get out," she said gently, reaching over me to unbuckle the seatbelt.

It had taken her forever to coax me into wearing the belt in the first place, and strangely, I found myself unwilling to take it off.

I let out a shuddering breath, trying my very hardest to force back the tears that were threatening to fall out.

Tears were hurtful.

"Come on, Isabella," said Danielle quietly, reaching over to grasp my hand. Without so much as a thought, I gasped and jerked away, curling my knees up to my chest as I rested my chin on them. Danielle simply sighed sadly and sat down carefully on the edge of the seat I'd abandoned.

The front door of the home opened once more as the driver returned. Danielle simply shook her head sadly at him, silently telling him of my disobedience, and to my complete horror, both he and another, much stranger man stepped outside.

The new man was tall- taller than the driver- and lean. He wasn't wearing anything very threatening, but as soon as I looked at him, my breath hitched.

He had light hair.

"Relax, sweetheart," said Danielle, seeing my panicked eyes. She reached out and gently touched my arm, making me stiffen before she moved it once again, waiting for the other two to reappear.

"Isabella?" asked the driver carefully, glancing at the light-haired stranger.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen," said the stranger carefully, his voice smooth and quiet. As he knelt down behind Danielle, I caught sight of his blue eyes and I became even more irrationally panicked.

"You need to come out," said Danielle, sternly, but kindly.

"No," I said pleadingly, shooting her the saddest look I could manage.

I'd learned during my time in the hospital that people tended to be much more sympathetic towards me than before.

"Honey…" she said gently, reaching out and taking my hand. I felt her tug me gently to the other side of the car, forcing this "Carlisle" to stand and step back as I was brought out of the car entirely. Danielle closed the door behind me and the driver cleverly locked it tight with his remote, knowing very well that I'd dart back into my seat if given the chance.

I stood, scared and lost as the blonde Carlisle watched me gently.

"Would you like to come inside?" he asked kindly.

I shook my head, trying not to cry…

I glanced at his pocket and saw the familiar rectangular shape, and I instantly let out a shaky breath, leaning into Danielle's side as I remembered what that was. She simply wrapped her arm around me, letting me shrink into her and away from this strange, blonde man. She patted my hair kindly as I turned my face into her, not knowing what I should do with myself.

"She has her file here," said the driver, sighing heavily as he took the folder from Danielle, handing it over to Carlisle.

"Thank you," he said courteously, taking a quick glance inside before he frowned gently.

"Esme's waiting for us inside," he said quietly, glancing at me once more.

I had no idea what "Esme" was, and I didn't want Danielle to leave me with this strange man.

"Go on," she encouraged, letting me go and taking a step back.

I froze, knowing very well what Carlisle would pull out of his pocket if I tried to run back to my safe place- Danielle's shoulder.

"Come on, honey," said Danielle wearily, taking my hand once more as she walked towards the house.

I could either go with her and Carlisle into the house, or stay outside with the strange driver outside, and I decided that I'd much rather be wherever Danielle was than alone with a man- even a dark haired one.

"That's it," she said happily, leading me up the five steps in front of the door. Carlisle opened it carefully and let us into his entranceway, closing the door behind us with a click. I pressed myself against the wall, making sure he couldn't get me from behind.

He ignored my behavior and simply smiled kindly, inviting us into the sitting room.

**A/N: So there we have it... the first real chapter of this story. As you can see, Bella is incredibly naive. She's been sheltered and deprived, so as the story progresses, you'll get to see just how much common knowledge she lacks.**

**And yes, she has biological siblings. And the romance portion of this one will eventually be an E/B.**

**Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 2**

**A/N: You guys are all amazing... I sort of wondered whether or not the reader count would decrease since I've been gone so long (I was prepared to accept whoever decided to read, though I wasn't expecting such high numbers!) and I'm glad to say that you guys have outdone yourselves! I'm so glad with the response...**

**A little secret about me- the more encouraging, illuminating and positive reviews I get, the more I'm tempted to write and update. Seriously... I've been trying to hold out for one new chapter per week, since my course load is heavy and I want to be a few chapters ahead of what's posted (just in case I don't get time to write for a while, I can still post for you guys). But, as usual, I've flaked out of my decision and decided to post chapter 2 early. I know how MAD it makes me to be left with a bunch of questions at the end of a chapter, and I always forget that even though I have everything more or less planned out, you guys aren't so lucky, and you don't know where this is going.**

**Anyways, enough of my rambles... enjoy the chapter!**

BPOV

Danielle held my hand the entire way, and before I was even remotely ready, we arrived at what Carlisle called his "sitting room". As soon as I saw it, I grew even more tense and nervous than I already was.

It was a large, airy room with lots of windows, but those weren't what bothered me. All around the room, there were armchairs, stools, couches and loveseats, arranged artfully in a circular pattern.

It looked like the counseling room.

My right hand moved to my left arm, gently rubbing the still-sore marks covering it.

I shivered.

"Have a seat, and I'll go grab my wife," said Carlisle, smiling kindly as he left the room.

Danielle sat down quietly on the sofa, and to my surprise, the male driver also came in, sitting down in an armchair.

"Sit down," said Danielle kindly, patting the seat next to hers.

I shook my head quickly and retreated back against the wall, almost in the corner. Danielle simply watched me, as did the driver, as Carlisle returned with a lady behind him. He shot me a confused, slightly worried glance before he sat down graciously on a loveseat, leaving the lady to smile at me.

"Hello dear," she said softly, her voice matching her face. She also had blue eyes, though hers were much darker than her husband's, with light-brown hair and a heart-shaped face. She looked like a kind lady, but as I stood in the corner of her sitting room, I couldn't be sure. I simply watched her fearfully, making her smile sadly as she sat down next to Carlisle. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, leaving me to observe this strange interaction.

Why would he want to hug her?

I let it go.

"Well, everything you'll need to know is in that file," said Danielle quietly. "You already got the basics?"

"Yes," said Carlisle. "We read it over."

"Good," said Danielle cheerily, looking over at me again.

"Are you sure you don't want to sit?" she asked kindly.

I shook my head quickly, determined not to sit down in that circle with the blonde-haired man and his kind-looking wife.

Who knew what else he had in this house.

"Alright," she said kindly. "Her medical records are still as shady as before," she continued.

I frowned at the word "medical".

"I expected as much," said Carlisle sadly, opening the file and producing a paper with all-too familiar writing covering it.

It was _his _writing.

"It's only a copy," said Danielle quickly, seeing where I was looking. "He's gone."

I stared nonetheless as Carlisle glanced up at me carefully.

"This is it?" he asked sadly, taking out a few more sheets of paper covered in the Doctor's untidy scrawl.

"Yes, but we'll be in contact as soon as we get anything else," said the driver, speaking for the first time. "Any other additions you make to those records will need to be faxed down to us."

He handed Carlisle a card with what I assumed was his name and contact information.

"Thank you," said Carlisle quietly.

"Anything," repeated the driver seriously. "Any dental appointments, fillings, optometrist appointments, general checkups, prescriptions, whatever she ends up needing."

Carlisle nodded seriously, glancing over at me again.

"Any details we could use for the trial would be great too," he added, shrugging. "We have a few testimonies, but nothing too concrete at the moment."

"Alright," said Carlisle, nodding once more as he closed the file and placed it gently on his table.

"She won't testify," said the driver sadly, glancing over.

I shook visibly as the word returned once more, remembering how he'd tried to coax me into going to court.

I didn't ever want to see _him _again, and I knew that if I spoke out against him in public, he'd most definitely have something nasty for me later on.

"Do you have any questions for either of us?" asked the driver quietly, glancing at both Carlisle and the lady.

"I don't think-" started Carlisle, right before a quiet buzzing sound came from his pocket and he reached in.

I tensed, waiting for what I knew was coming.

He pulled out a small silver rectangle, glancing at a small screen.

"Excuse me for just a moment. Work." he said apologetically, flipping it open.

It was a telephone.

"Doctor Cullen," he said kindly.

I froze, my eyes glued to him.

"Oh dear," said Danielle softly, standing quickly as the kind lady looked at me worriedly.

"Relax, honey," said Danielle quickly, walking forward. The driver watched me as well, looking upset as Danielle approached.

"Relax," she repeated as my breathing turned hoarse and my whole body shook with fear.

He was a doctor.

…_Doctor._

"Doctor Cullen is a very nice man," she told me sincerely, looking right at me as Carlisle closed his phone again, watching me seriously.

"Don't leave," I pleaded softly, speaking for the first time in this room as I grabbed onto her arm. She sighed.

"Honey, you're very safe here." she said gently. "Doctor and Mrs. Cullen will take very good care of you."

I stared at her, wide-eyed and panicking.

What else did Doctor Cullen have in his pockets?

"_Now Isabella…" said the Doctor menacingly, glancing around the large room._

_The counseling room. _

_I was seated on a hard-backed chair as Felix, the orderly, sat across from me, smirking. Two more patients were in here as well, each as silent and tense as me, although they were older._

_Much, much older._

"_What did I tell you about speaking out?" he asked calmly, glancing around the room._

_The lady I knew as Betty shivered at the other end of the room before she grabbed her hair and began to rock, muttering to herself worriedly._

"_No speaking out, no speaking out!" she whimpered, her wild eyes meeting mine. She moaned and shook her head as the other strange man- the patient- blocked his ears and clamped his eyes shut._

"_I'm sorry!" I cried, making him sigh._

"_Don't you yell at me," he warned dangerously, reaching into his pocket._

_There it was- and I panicked._

"_Enough!" he shouted angrily as he moved his stun-gun towards me, the electricity cackling as he brought it down on my arm…_

"No," I said, watching Danielle wildly. Sighing, she removed my hand from her arm and gently held it in her own.

"Mrs. Cullen will be even kinder than I am," she promised, making me shake my head wildly, sending my hair flying in all directions.

"Relax," she reminded me as I tried to control my breathing, as she'd taught me all those months ago. I managed to succeed, and she smiled proudly.

"That's it," she said.

I stared right at her, my eyes meeting hers frantically.

"Cole and I need to get back to Phoenix," she said sadly, glancing at the driver.

_Cole. _That was his name.

"Why?" I asked childishly, making her smile sadly.

"Because we live there," she explained patiently.

I stared at her.

"You live here now," she reminded me, making me nod sadly.

"We'll be back to see you," said Cole, standing from his place on the sofa.

I watched him as he turned to Doctor Cullen and his wife.

"Anything you want cleared up?" he asked, sounding tired. Both shook their heads, standing up as well as Danielle let me go.

"I'll see you soon, Isabella," said Danielle quietly, offering me a kind smile before she stepped back.

"Bye," she said.

"Bye," I whispered, feeling the fear and anxiety returning.

The two- Cole and Danielle- said goodbye to Doctor and Mrs. Cullen as well, but I wasn't listening as I examined the room and tried to stop myself from running after Danielle and jumping back in her car.

I didn't want her to go.

Before long, I heard the large front door closing before there was the sound of the car starting up, and through the window, I watched the black vehicle moving back down the brick path- away from me and my new "family".

I was only alone for a moment before Doctor Cullen and his wife returned, both quiet and careful.

"Isabella, honey?" asked the lady, looking at me carefully as she stepped closer.

She looked almost tearful as I remained pressed against her wall, watching her every move.

"I'm Esme," she told me quietly. "Carlisle's wife."

So she was the "Esme".

"Would you like to sit?" she asked, gesturing to the sofa.

I shook my head quickly.

"No thank you," I said.

"Are you sure?" she asked sadly.

"Yes."

"Alright," she said, glancing at her husband, who was still watching me.

"You can sit," he told me gently.

I was scared of him and his voice, so I did exactly as he said, perching myself stiffly on the sofa cushion.

"There," said Esme gently, sitting at the other end of the couch.

I was glad she didn't insist on sitting too close. I liked my space.

"How've you been?" she asked.

"Fine," I lied, making her smile.

"That's good," she said gently, glancing at her husband. He watched me as he sat down at the other end of the room, in an armchair by himself.

I didn't like his watching.

"It's dinnertime," said Esme softly, glancing at the clock on the wall.

I couldn't read it.

"Are you hungry?"

I watched her, confused, not replying as I glanced at the doctor. Instead of telling me what I should say, he simply watched me for my answer. I felt tears pop into my eyes as I debated what I should say.

If I said no, she'd be angry at me for being ungrateful. If I said yes, I'd be in trouble for being greedy.

"Oh, honey, don't cry!" said Esme sadly, looking at her husband.

"Sorry," I said quickly, flinching violently as she reached out and took my hand in hers, sitting closer than she had been before.

"You don't have to answer," she assured me, squeezing my small hand lightly. "Don't feel pressured."

"Okay," I said quickly, not sure exactly what she meant.

Pressured to do what? She'd asked a question and I'd failed to answer…

"You can eat whenever you'd like to," she said softly. "Just let me know when."

I nodded, knowing very well that I'd never be so bold as to ask for food when it wasn't offered.

"Do you remember Alice?" asked Doctor Cullen suddenly.

I jumped in surprise before I answered.

"I don't know," I replied honestly, my voice shaking with every word.

"Do you remember anything at all about her?" he asked again.

"One thing," I whispered, ashamed of how little I remembered of the sister I'd lived with for six years of my life.

"Alright," he said, shooting me a kind smile before he stood up and left the room, effectively shocking me.

"Alice is upstairs," said Esme happily, a small smile on her face as I stared at her.

I'd forgotten that Alice was here.

"She's been so anxious to see you again," she said gently.

"Oh," I said, feeling very inadequate.

"Don't feel nervous," said Esme. "Alice knows you might not remember much."

Did she?

"Okay," I whispered, just as two sets of feet appeared on the staircase.

The first ones were the eerily familiar feet of the doctor, but the second pair were much smaller, and much more feminine.

Alice.

A girl in her late teens glided down the steps, sparking the memory of the park incident in my head once more. Her face was very similar to the one I'd seen in my memory, although it was much less round and more defined. Her eyes were as brown as I remembered and as bright as ever, and her hair- the short, feathery spikes- were the same as before.

"Bella," said the high, girlish voice. I simply watched her, not knowing exactly what to say. She didn't seem to mind my silence and simply came closer to me, smiling hugely.

"God, I've missed you," she said happily, kneeling down in front of me. Doctor Cullen was watching us closely, observing both Alice and myself as I watched her, trying vainly to remember something more about her.

She watched me closely for a moment before she sighed and frowned a little, sitting down on the floor before me.

"You really don't remember, do you?" she asked sadly, making me frown as I hesitated.

"Alice, don't push her," warned Esme softly, glancing over quickly.

"Only a little," I whispered, avoiding her gaze. She smiled softly, much more subdued than before as she reached out gently, taking my hand.

Why did everyone hold my hands?

"You'll remember eventually," she said confidently, standing up and seating herself on the center cushion, where Esme had been moments before.

I sat stiffly, unsure how I should react.

Before I had the chance to decide, Alice reached out both her arms and I felt my body jerk back, scared of what those arms could do to me. Alice, looking confused and sad, drew back quickly as I leapt out of my seat, trying not to panic as I knew I would.

"Bella?" she asked quietly, standing up as well. She took a step forward, and I automatically stepped back, feeling the intense terror.

Who knew what she had that could hurt?

She simply watched me for a long moment before she sat back down, obviously unsure what to do.

"Why don't we show you to your room?" asked Esme tensely, breaking the silence as I glanced over.

I had no idea who she was talking to, so I simply fell silent and waited as she and Alice stood up, glancing at me.

"Come on, dear," said Esme kindly, smiling at me as I took a hesitant step forward. Alice watched me closely as I expertly avoided the area around the doctor's chair, following both women up the stairs Alice had come down before.

"You'll have a room on the third floor," said Esme gently, smiling at me.

She was very smiley.

Without a word from me, I followed the two of them up the stairs, all the way to the third floor, where I was led to another, dark-wood door. Esme opened it up quickly and both she and Alice stepped inside, letting me follow.

The walls were a light blue colour, and the bedding matched. I had no idea what sorts of things were in there, besides the shelf full of books, and I nodded carefully.

"Do you like it?" asked Esme nervously. "If not, we can change it up," she offered.

"It's nice," I said carefully, having never seen anything to compare it to.

My old "room" was in the ward, with everyone else. I wondered who else shared this room with me…

"Are you sure?" asked Esme, sounding much happier at my approval.

I nodded quickly as Alice, much quieter than before, moved to one of the other doors and opened it up.

"A closet," she said cheerfully, pointing out the clothing to me, "and a bathroom." She opened the second door, showing me a tiled room with a toilet, bathtub, counter and sink.

"It's nice," I said again, glancing at Esme as she smiled.

"I'm glad you like it," she said softly. I nodded.

"Are you eating dinner with us?" asked Alice suddenly, turning towards me quickly.

I watched her, unsure what she meant by that.

"What?" I asked, confused as I watched my sister, making her frown.

"Are you eating with us?" she repeated, making me even more confused than before.

"I don't know," I said honestly, making her frown quietly.

"Are you hungry?" she tried, making me shrug.

"When do you usually eat?" she asked again, making me sigh as a tear fell.

"When we're fed," I said quietly.

It was her turn to be confused, and she stared at me.

"Alright, dear," said Esme, stepping in as Alice glanced at her.

"Where'd you go?" asked Alice curiously, making me stare.

"What?" I asked again. Esme watched me carefully before she glanced at Alice, shaking her head.

"Now now, Ali," she said gently, offering my sister a small smile. Alice nodded and fell silent, still watching me warily as I glanced at the wooden floor.

"Would you prefer us to call you Bella, or Isabella?" asked Esme quietly, glancing at Alice and her pet name.

"Bella," I said automatically, remembering how the Doctor had called me "Isabella".

"Okay," said Esme, obviously happy with me answering a question. "Are you tired?"

"Yes," I said quietly, sniffling as I glanced at the floor again, avoiding her gaze.

Would she keep me up now, for answering like that?

"Alright. Why don't you get changed into some pajamas, and you can lie down for now?" she asked gently, moving to the closet. Inside, there was a dresser as well, and she opened the third drawer, pulling out a pair of purple pajamas.

She handed them to me, smiling kindly as ever before she turned on the bathroom light and let me inside to change.

I walked inside warily, examining the walls and other visible things as the door closed behind me with a snap.

I jumped, feeling acutely nervous as I took off my clothes quickly, determined that no one would walk in on me naked.

Taking off the undergarments as well, I put on the new, soft pajamas that were so different than the ones I was used to. When I was dressed, I gently scooped up my dirty clothes, frowning when I caught a look at myself in the large mirror.

I looked sick.

My face, always white and pale, was even more so today, and my dark brown hair was lying down my back. The curls it sometimes sported had been brushed out by Danielle this morning, making it even more lank and flat than it usually was. Even I saw the fear embedded in my own brown eyes, and as I examined the rest of my body, I became hyperaware of the scars.

The pajama top I had on was short-sleeved, leaving the needle marks and stun-gun burns visible for all to see. Both arms were covered in various marks and bruises, and I wondered if seeing them would give the doctor and his family any ideas…

"Bella?" asked Esme from the other side of the door, making me jump as I cracked the door open. She and Alice were both still standing there together, both of them looking slightly wary.

"All done, sweetheart?" she asked kindly.

I nodded, using my dirty clothes to hide my arms from her.

"Oh!" cried Esme, seeing my burden. "Sorry, the laundry basket is in the closet," she explained, opening the closet door once more. She pointed to a wicker basket in the corner and I slowly walked towards it, hesitating before I opened it up and tossed the clothes into the bottom of the bag. I closed the lid carefully, making sure it was on properly before I crossed my arms in front of me and backed out slowly.

Alice's eyes widened as she took in the pearly white, red and sometimes purple scars on my arms and I swore I heard her gasp. Esme simply avoided them, smiling gently at me as she led me towards the massive bed and turned down the thick covers.

At least she wasn't Felix.

"Have a good sleep, dear," she said kindly, letting me slide under the sheets. Before I could, she reached over and pulled the covers up over me and turned off the bedside lamp, leaving only the moonlight to shine through the large window.

"Thank you," I said quietly, making Esme smile as she backed away, giving Alice a small smile of her own.

"Goodnight, Bella," said Alice kindly, looking more upset than she had before I'd changed.

"Goodnight," I whispered, not too sure if she heard me. She and Esme both left the room together, closing the door behind them as I sighed, looking up at the white ceiling.

Before I could so much as think of growing anxious of my new surroundings, I felt the familiar sleepiness creeping into my system, and I promptly fell asleep.

**A/N: I sort of like the Bella I've created here... I never intended her to be quite like this, but hey! Any writer knows that characters can take on a mind and personality of their own... she's observant, but naively so. She sees a lot, but she doesn't know exactly what she's seeing or how to interpret and react to it. **

**If you haven't all ready, please head on over to my profile and take part in my poll! I'm VERY excited to see the results!**

**Reviews?**


	4. Chapter 3

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 3**

**A/N: Here's a little peek into Esme's mind for all of you... I've recently started on chapter 8 of this one, so I think I can afford to give you another update. Your reviews have been phenomenal so far- over 100 for only two chapters and a prologue!**

**Enjoy!**

EsPOV

I closed Bella's door with a soft _click _as Alice watched me with her wide, sad eyes. She said nothing at all before she turned around, a small frown on her face, and made her way to the staircase, gently moving back down to the main floor of the house. I followed her closely, knowing she was upset, the two of us ending up in the dining room, where my husband and four other children were convened, each one sitting in their respective chairs.

"She's not eating?" asked Carlisle sadly, glancing at me knowingly.

I knew she was too thin, but who was I to force her into something that would undoubtedly make her uncomfortable?

"Not tonight," I said simply, making him sigh as he nodded. Alice sat down quietly in between her brother and Jasper, making both boys turn to her. Emmett, always the protector, watched her closely.

"What's up?" he asked her, making her frown as she shook her head, glancing at Carlisle.

"Where did she come from?" asked Alice seriously, making Carlisle sigh.

"That's her story to tell, not mine," he said quietly, shaking his head. I sighed, sitting down at the other end of the table, ignoring the looks from my two other children- Edward and Rosalie.

"Where's Boo?" asked Emmett, glancing at me sadly.

"Sleeping," I said honestly, making him frown.

"At six o'clock?" he asked doubtfully.

"She was tired," I said.

Alice frowned.

"Can we eat?" she asked, obviously upset. Jasper sensed her discomfort and immediately turned to her worriedly, watching her closely.

"What's wrong?" he asked, making her frown deepen.

"She's scared," she said simply, taking the spoon out of the mashed potatoes and dishing some out for herself quietly. Everyone followed her example and began to dish out their own food.

"Of what?" demanded Emmett angrily, plopping a pile of potatoes on his plate.

Alice simply shrugged.

I sighed, eating my food carefully as I pondered Bella's odd behaviour. It was easy enough for anyone to see that she was timid and frightened, though of what, I had yet to discover.

Carlisle and I only knew as much as the file told us about Isabella's upbringing after the age of six, when her parents had been killed in a car pileup.

"What was in her file?" asked Alice carefully, eating daintily as always.

Rosalie, Edward, Emmett and Jasper all listened as Carlisle sighed heavily, obviously calculating how much he should reveal.

"A lot," he admitted, making Alice frown.

"Why does she have scars on her arms?" she asked angrily, putting her fork down.

"I don't know," said Carlisle sadly, speaking honestly.

Only Bella knew the true reasons, although we had our suspicions.

"She has scars?" demanded Emmett angrily, glancing at his father.

"Yes," said Alice sadly, knowing Carlisle hadn't seen her arms as we had. "They looked like burns or something."

"They might have been," said Carlisle reluctantly, making Rosalie frown worriedly.

"Is she okay?" she asked, making Carlisle smile gently at her.

"Yes," he said. "She was checked out before coming to us."

"She had little bruises all over her arms too," said Alice angrily, obviously not in the mood to eat anymore.

Carlisle fell silent, putting his fork down.

"It's not my place to tell her secrets," he said sadly.

"She's my sister!" shouted Alice indignantly, earning her a frown from Carlisle.

"Don't yell, please," he said gently. Alice fell silent as she watched him, on the verge of tears.

"She won't even let me touch her," she whispered sadly.

Alice loved hugs, and Bella's reaction had hurt her more than she would ever let on.

Carlisle sighed.

"Do you remember the story on the news last month, about that facility in Phoenix?" he asked, making all the kids frown.

"The one with the psycho doctor?" asked Edward, speaking up for the first time.

"Yes," said Carlisle, nodding sadly. Alice stared at him warily, obviously knowing where this was going.

"What about it?" asked Alice.

Emmett frowned as well, simply shoving more food into his mouth to avoid speaking.

"She was one of his patients."

Alice let her fork clatter to her plate, looking absolutely distraught.

"What did he do to her?" she asked, her voice shaking with emotion.

Carlisle fell silent.

"Not even the officials know for sure," he said. "Doctor James Dupont was running an underground facility at an abandoned hospital down in Arizona. He tested all sorts of experimental psychiatric drugs on a group of mental patients he got his hands on."

"Bella's not a mental patient," said Alice angrily, looking ready to be sick.

"No," admitted Carlisle, "but he got a hold of her."

"How?" asked Emmett sadly, avoiding Carlisle's gaze. Jasper simply pulled Alice in closer as she stared at the tabletop, her food abandoned.

I'd found it cute when Jasper had taken a liking to little Alice… they had been best friends for years before their little romance had developed.

"I don't know," said Carlisle patiently. "Her file indicates that after you two were brought to us, she was placed in a group home, but after that, no one knows where she went."

"How long was she in the group?" asked Rosalie sadly, knowing first-hand how group homes were run.

She and Jasper had been together in a group home until they were brought to us, and both kids had hated their time there.

"The home was shut down after a few months," said Carlisle sadly.

"She was only six," said Alice sadly, glancing at her father.

"She was lost from the age of six until now, when the feds found the hospital," said Carlisle.

"She was there for ten years?" asked Alice, tortured.

"We don't know," he said again, "but most likely, yes."

Alice fell silent before she jumped up from the table and ran from the dining room, either to cry or be sick. Jasper followed her moments later, obviously wanting to be of some assistance to her.

"What's she scared of?" asked Emmett angrily, taking Alice's place as questioner.

"Everything," said Carlisle sadly. "Me."

"You?" asked Emmett, confused.

"I'm a doctor, and I have blonde hair," he said simply, sighing sadly. "James Dupont was the same."

"Where is that fucker?" demanded Emmett loudly, making Carlisle frown at his choice of words.

"In an Arizona detention facility, awaiting trial," replied Carlisle.

"Good," said Emmett angrily, glancing up at the other two kids at the other side of the table. Edward was eating slowly, disturbed by the events of late, and Rosalie, Emmett's two-year girlfriend, was staring at him sadly.

"Did he hurt her?" asked Emmett finally, speaking the words that had been eating away at him.

Carlisle didn't reply.

"Carlisle?" he prompted, making me frown as I finished the small amount of food I'd placed on my plate.

"I think so," he admitted gently, making Emmett sigh as he finished his plate as well, standing up quickly. My eldest took my plate with his own as he moved towards the kitchen sink, depositing the dirty dishes in their proper spot. When he returned, he simply offered me a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Emmett," I said gently, earning me a small sigh.

"Your welcome, mom," he said quietly, moving towards the living room. Carlisle, Edward and Rosalie finished quickly and put their plates away as well before Rosalie went off to join Emmett. My youngest stayed behind with Carlisle and I to help with the leftovers.

"She took the upstairs room?" asked Edward as he carried the potatoes to the fridge, covering them carefully.

"Yes," I said. "She seemed nervous, though."

"Yeah," he said quietly, sighing as the last of the food was put away.

Edward had been with us since the tender age of five, and he was the first of our five- now six- children.

Edward had been seven years old when eight year old Jasper and nine year old Rosalie had joined our family, and not three months later, we'd taken in ten year old Emmett and eight year old Alice as well.

The four eldest had been fast friends, with little Edward tagging along when he could. He had always gotten along well with the boys, even if he and Rosalie fought like cats and dogs. Both Rose and Edward had big personalities, and when two people like them got together, there was sure to be conflict.

When the dining room was cleaned up and the kitchen in order, Edward, Carlisle and I returned to the sitting room where Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and a tearful Alice were convened. Emmett, though his arm was around Rosalie, had his eyes glued to his sister.

"Alice?" I asked quietly, earning me a sad glance from her.

"What did he do to her?" she asked sadly, making me frown.

"She'll be okay now," I said firmly, making my mind up right then and there.

I'd keep Bella with me until she was a grown woman if I had to… she could stay here as long as she needed.

"I know," said Alice with a sigh, leaning her head on Jasper's shoulder. Jasper, ever calm and gentle, simply wrapped Alice up in his arms, always the comforter.

Alice's intense, bubbly personality had always contrasted Jasper's cool, collected calm.

"She was scared of _you?" _asked Emmett incredulously, glancing at his sister's small stature.

"She's smaller than me," said Alice sadly, shrugging. "She's too skinny."

Emmett fell silent, obviously trying to envision how someone who was related to him, of all people, could possibly be smaller than Alice.

"Just don't push her," warned Carlisle sadly, glancing at his eldest child carefully.

Emmett may have been almost twenty years old, but we all knew that he had a personality that matched Alice's in intensity. He knew what he wanted, and he was very impatient…

"She didn't even know what I meant when I asked her if she was eating with us," said Alice quietly.

"What do you mean she didn't know what you meant?" asked Rosalie quietly, making Alice sniffle.

"She was confused," said Alice. "I don't think she's used to being offered food."

"What the hell?" demanded Emmett, making her sigh.

"She doesn't remember anything," she added quietly.

Emmett stared.

"What's 'anything'?" he asked quietly.

"Us," said Alice gently, "before the car accident."

Emmett sighed sadly and frowned.

"Nothing?" he asked desperately, his mind obviously filling with all the memories he had of his youngest sister in her early days.

"No," said Alice sullenly.

"She remembers one thing," I said quietly, making both Alice and Emmett turn to me.

"What?" asked Alice gently.

"I don't know exactly, but she said she remembered something," I explained.

Alice sighed, and her sad mood persisted.

"I wonder if-" started Emmett, right before we heard a loud bang from the kitchen.

"Goddamn it," snarled Emmett, standing up quickly. Alice, whose frown had alleviated somewhat, simply glanced at her brother as he disappeared into the kitchen.

All of us knew exactly what was going on.

"Jake!" barked Emmett loudly, earning him a loud whimper. "Get down."

"No-" started Emmett, right before a large, furry, brown mass of fur came tearing out of the kitchen and into the sitting room.

"Get back here," snarled Emmett, grabbing the offending animal by his red collar and tugging him back.

The dog barked loudly, and Emmett sighed, his large mass making him the only one in the house that was able to overpower our large, unruly pet.

Jake had been a member of our family for just over a year now, and even a year of rigorous training and behavioral alterations had been unable to curb his terrible disposition. He oftentimes managed to get off his leash in the yard and tear up my flower beds, he constantly stole food from anyplace in the kitchen he could reach, he tore up bedding and pillows, chewed the furniture and was constantly tracking mud through the house and on the carpets.

Only Alice's love for him had kept him with us, since neither Carlisle or I could bear to cause one of our children such heartache.

Alice had found Jake on her trip to the Port Angeles Animal Shelter, and without her hasty intervention, he would have ended up with the lethal injection. Alice had saved her "puppy", as she'd affectionately dubbed him, brought him home and pleaded his case to Carlisle and myself, resulting in his permanence. After we'd discovered how badly he behaved, we'd been tempted to return him, but Alice had been absolutely distraught at the very idea, and had begged us to keep him.

Which was why Emmett had to wrestle the massive beast away from the kitchen counter, where he was undoubtedly trying to lick our dinner dishes clean.

Jake had yet to learn the most basic of commands, such as _sit._

"No," said Emmett firmly, pointing a large finger in the dog's face.

Jake stared at it speculatively for a moment before he nipped it, his tail wagging.

"Ouch!" shouted Emmett angrily, snatching his hand back as Jake's ears perked up curiously.

"No biting," said Emmett firmly, looking closely at the massive beast.

Although we were unsure of his exact age, he had grown significantly since he'd been with us, giving us a rough age estimate- two years old, if that.

"Damn dog," spat Emmett as Jake leapt up on the couch, right in Emmett's old spot.

We'd given up on trying to keep him off of the furniture.

Always sucking up to Alice, he placed his massive, furry head in her lap, demanding a pat.

Alice obliged, and he groaned happily, pressing harder on Alice's hand as she scratched his ears absently.

"Get your goddamn animal off the couch," ordered Emmett moodily, glaring at the dog.

Emmett very much disliked the family pet, and he wasn't afraid to show it. Alice shot him a nasty glare before she tapped Jake on the nose.

"Come on, puppy," she cooed lovingly, kissing his nose. Jake, always the instigator, nipped playfully at the ends of her hair.

"Down," she tried, pointing to the rug.

The dog resisted.

"Move, Jake," she said, her voice growing more and more stern.

Jake remained, lounging comfortably in his spot, completely unthreatened by little Alice.

"Jacob…" warned Alice, making Jasper smirk. Alice had named the dog all on her own, giving him a name which we'd all affectionately shortened to "Jake".

"Get down," she ordered firmly.

Jake let out a loud snort and put his head down on the armrest, stretching out his back leg. Alice simply shrugged and looked up at Emmett helplessly, a small smile on her tearstained face.

"Jake wants his seat," she said simply.

Emmett, not in the mood to be usurped by a dog, grabbed Jake's collar and forced him down.

"Be gentle!" cried Alice indignantly as he yanked Jake off the couch, sending him to the rug instead.

"Gentle?" asked Emmett incredulously. "Have you taken a good look at that thing lately?"

"He's such a sweet puppy, not a _thing,_" defended Alice valiantly.

Emmett ignored her, simply leaning to his side on the armrest he'd won over.

"Is Bella afraid of dogs?" asked Emmett suddenly, glancing down at the sleeping dog on the rug.

"I don't know," said Carlisle gently, making Alice frown. We all knew she spoiled our misbehaved dog terribly, but she loved her sister more than any dog, and she wanted Bella happy.

"We'll see tomorrow," I said gently, determined not to upset Alice more than she already was tonight. Alice nodded quietly and simply sighed, obviously sad again at the mention of her timid little sister.

"I hope she's okay with him," she whispered sadly, the prospect of losing her dog obviously distressing her.

"We can make him a doghouse if she's scared," said Jasper, knowing very well that Jake was quite capable of being an outside dog, even in the chilly Forks climate.

We were sure he was part husky, and maybe German shepherd.

"Yeah," said Alice gently, sighing as she closed her eyes tiredly.

"Tired?" asked Jasper sympathetically, making her nod.

"I'm going to head up to bed," she said softly, sighing as she sat back up and yawned softly.

It had been a rough afternoon for both my youngest girls…

"Alright," I said gently. "Have a good sleep."

"I will," she said quietly, walking over quickly to give me a goodnight hug.

Even if she was eighteen, nothing could deter Alice's hugs.

Carlisle received the same treatment, as did Jasper and Emmett before she traipsed up the stairs and disappeared into the recesses of her bedroom.

As soon as she was gone, Jake jumped up into her vacated seat, relishing the warmth. Jasper was shoved over by his large backside, forcing him right into Emmett's side. He sighed heavily and stood up, letting Jake take the two cushions beside Emmett before he bid us goodnight as well, obviously deciding he'd be more comfortable in his own bedroom.

Jake's leg stretched out and hit Emmett's thigh, making him frown as he glanced quickly at the sleepy dog.

"She's in the blue room?" asked Emmett carefully glancing at me as he turned the conversation back to Bella.

"Yes," I said gently. "I figured she'd be most comfortable up there, instead of in the middle of all the other rooms."

"Probably," he agreed as he glanced at Edward, who had the only other bedroom on the uppermost floor.

"It's quiet up there," admitted Edward gently, shrugging. "Not that it really matters. I sleep like a rock." I chuckled, remembering quite clearly how Edward slept like the dead- not waking for anyone or anything. Carlisle cracked a smile as well as Emmett nodded, obviously overflowing with questions about Bella's personality.

Emmett, though he could be crass and crude, cared dearly for his family, his two sisters in particular. He had been the oldest sibling in his family as well, giving him the position of "big brother" from the get-go. He was two years older than Alice, and four years older than Bella, giving him the right to protect and look after the two of them, even at the age of ten. Not being able to know Bella these past years had always bothered him- something he compensated for by being even more protective of the one sister he'd been allowed to keep with him.

No one hurt Alice, if he had anything to say about it.

Emmett had always had questions about his missing little sister… what was she like? What did she like to do? Was she loud? Quiet? Happy? Outgoing? The list was endless.

"She needs her sleep," said Carlisle sadly, glancing over at me. "Lord knows she's much too anxious for her own good."

"Is she on anything?" asked Emmett quietly, making Carlisle sigh.

"Her records say that it's nearly impossible to get any sort of medication into her," he admitted. "She won't take pills and she fought when they tried to give her needles."

"Poor Boo," he said sadly, frowning as his active imagination went into overdrive.

"I just hope she can sleep properly," said Carlisle. "I'd hate to have to sedate her…"

"Enough of that," I said sadly, making him frown sheepishly.

"Sorry," he said quietly, knowing I hated his medical talk, especially when it concerned our children. He tended to plan for the worst, preferring to be happily surprised when the worst failed to play out than to be horribly shocked if he were to expect the best and be disappointed.

"She'll be okay, I think," he said confidently. "We'll try and curb her fear and anxiety without medication."

"Good," said Emmett, nodding resolutely.

The living room fell silent once more as Rosalie sighed sadly, glancing up at Emmett carefully. Edward, seated in an armchair, remained stoically silent as he observed the goings-on around him.

"What time is it?" asked Emmett curiously, glancing at Carlisle and his watch.

"Eight thirty," said Carlisle softly, making Emmett nod.

"I'm going upstairs," he decided softly as he moved the dog's foot off of his leg and stood up, stretching. Rosalie smiled and followed, saying her soft goodnights as Edward, Carlisle and I were left alone in the sitting room.

"Is she a light sleeper?" asked Edward gently, making Carlisle shrug.

"I'm not sure, why?" he asked.

"Can I play my music, or should I use my iPod?"

"Use the headphones tonight," Carlisle advised.

"Yeah," he said, yawning. "I'm tired."

"So I see," said Carlisle, observing him carefully. Carlisle and Edward had a special bond together, especially considering that Carlisle was the first father Edward had ever known, and Edward had been the first of our adopted children, and the youngest.

"Goodnight dad," he said softly, standing carefully. Edward wasn't the most affectionate of our children, even as a young boy, and he didn't often give Carlisle a bedtime hug, but for whatever reason, he never failed to hug me before bed.

"Goodnight mom," he said gently, hugging me tightly. Edward had grown into quite the young man, going from the small, red-haired little boy into this strong, seventeen year old boy that would be ready to leave the nest soon enough.

The very thought made me sad, so I pushed it away.

"Goodnight dear," I replied softly, earning me a small wave as he moved towards the stairs, walking up quickly.

Carlisle sighed and turned to me, his face curious and somber all at once.

"What do you think?" he asked gently, making me frown.

"She's too scared," I said, knowing immediately that he was talking about Bella. Carlisle had read through that poor girl's entire file, reading over every last detail of her sad life. I had been much too nervous to glance at the details, opting to hear the cliff-notes version from Carlisle instead.

Even that had saddened me, and I was almost positive that he'd left a lot out of the story for my sake.

"She'll be alright here," he said reasonably. "We'll teach her."

I nodded as he came over and sat next to me, letting me lean up against him. Even twenty years after we'd began dating in high school, there was no way I could grow tired of the quiet personal time I shared with my husband each night.

"I love you," I said quietly, earning me a small smile and a gentle kiss.

"Love you too," he whispered, right before we both fell silent, simply enjoying the moment for what it was.

**A/N: So what did you think of Jake? I wanted him involved in the story, but not as someone who could possibly create the dreaded love triangle between Bella, Edward and himself. Jake the puppy will be a sort of friend to Bella- someone solid and stoic. She needs that.**

**Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 4**

**A/N: Here's the next update... it's a longer one, so have fun reading! This is the Bella-meets-Jake chapter, and it really illustrates how Bella's mind works, and how deprived she is. Part BPOV and part EsPOV.**

**Enjoy!**

BPOV

With a gasp I shot up in the strange bed, forcing my eyes to adjust to this pressing darkness.

Where was I?

More importantly… what was that _noise?_

Thinking hard, I tried to remember where I was and how I had gotten here… I most definitely wasn't in the ward, that much was certain, but it didn't feel like the hospital either.

_Cullen._

The memories of the previous day shot through me like a bullet, and instantly, I remembered where I was and why I was here… I lived here now.

But that still didn't account for that disturbing noise just outside the closed bedroom door. As I sat up in my bed, trembling slightly in fear, I heard the strangest, most obtrusive noise I'd heard in a long time- it wasn't a human noise, that much was certain. Not even some of the worst patients in the institute made noises like this one.

It sounded like… _snuffling._

I heard someone- or something- pacing back and forth in front of my door as the strange snuffling noise continued.

Something whined, and I jumped in shock.

Slowly, fearing for my safety, I crept out of the bed… would Esme be mad if she found me out of bed after hours?

Esme wasn't here to chastise me, I decided, and that noise was much more bothersome than Esme was. I got the feeling that Esme wouldn't have it in her to chastise me anyways… she seemed so kind.

The wood didn't so much as creak as I moved closer to my noisy door, my mind going into overdrive as I imagined what sorts of things could be lurking outside.

Maybe this place wasn't as safe as I'd been told.

I distinctly remembered one specific time in the institute when I'd been given some new drug, and I'd hallucinated terribly. All sorts of demonic things had come creeping up from the concrete floors, wailing and screaming the whole time. For weeks afterward, I'd been terrified of my own shadow, and even to this day I still sometimes started at the sight of innocent things.

The thing whined again, and tapped the door anxiously.

I took a deep breath as my hand reached out for the cold knob, gently turning it to unlatch the door…

Breathing heavily, I swung it open, determined to face this thing that had disturbed the best sleep I'd had in years.

Something very large, and very hairy was sitting on its haunches outside my door, its head cocked to the side as it observed me interestedly.

What was it?

I stared at it for a long moment before it turned towards the small nightlight plugged in at the end of the hallway.

It was a _dog._

I hadn't seen one of those in a long time… ever since that dog outside the institute's window had been forcibly removed by the Doctor himself.

It whined again, it's long, bushy tail sweeping against the floor. Without any warning whatsoever, the massive creature simply nudged me aside with its snout and made its way into the bedroom.

I frowned confusedly and simply closed the door behind it, turning around to examine it. The large beast was investigating the bedroom, making the same snuffling noise it had been making outside my door.

It was _sniffing _things. Did all dogs do that?

Before long, it was bored with its examination and its attention returned to me, the strange girl standing in the middle of the room.

It whined, and I suddenly wondered if it was a girl or boy… it had to be a boy. It was much too large to be a girl.

It was a boy, I decided.

"Hello," I offered quietly, being sure not to speak too loudly. I'd hate to wake up Esme and have her yell at me on my first night in her home…

The dog stood up quickly and darted forward, ending up right in front of me.

He whined… loudly.

"Shh," I warned quietly, astonished when the dog fell silent instantly, watching me for another command.

Was he _obedient _to me?

When I didn't say anything else, he sat down on his backside once more and raised a massive, clawed paw, tapping my leg gently.

"What?" I asked confusedly, earning me another playful whimper. He tapped my hand with his paw, and gently, making sure he wouldn't attack, I reached out and took it.

He seemed pleased, and I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face.

"What's your name?" I wondered softly, crouching down to the dog's level. This seemed to please him even more and before I could even wonder what he was doing, he'd stood up once more and knocked me right down on my bottom.

He sat down before me, seemingly glad that I was paying him some attention.

The two of us- the dog and myself- sat like that for a long moment before he laid himself down and rested his large, heavy head in my lap.

I patted it gently, unable to resist the softness of his fur. It had been a very long time since I'd allowed myself to indulge in anything- even something as simple as a dog's fur.

I'd never actually _pet _a dog before, so it was a first-time indulgence. As I scratched his neck, I felt something there, and gently, I grabbed onto it.

It jingled, and I dropped it quickly, sighing in relief when I realized what it was.

His _collar, _I believed it was called… maybe it had his name on it. As long as it wasn't too difficult, I'd be able to decipher the letters and make out his name…

Timidly, I reached under his neck, growing more amused as he lifted it eagerly, thrusting his chin into my hand for a scratch. Obliging quickly, I found two small tags hiding under his long fur, turning the collar to bring them up.

It was dark, but I managed to make out the characters on the first tag- a simple series of four numbers,

_2-0-1-0, _and some letters- _P-A-A-S _and _R-A-B-I-E-S_. I had no idea what those words could mean, and I dropped it quickly.

P-A-A-S didn't even look like a real word… pa-as? What was that?

R-A-B-I-E-S… rah-bees? ray-byes? ray-bees?

Was that his name? Ray-bees? And what about that 2-0-1-0? Was that how old he was?

That seemed a little _too _old… I was only sixteen- one, six.

Frowning, I grabbed the second tag, glad that the dog remained docile and patient as I examined it.

_J-A-K-E_

Jake. _That _was a name I could decipher, and I felt certain that this was his real name.

Not Ray-bees.

"Jake?" I asked softly, happy when the dog perked up, waiting for my command.

I'd learned his name, and I was happy.

Slowly, I stood myself up, making sure I didn't make much noise on the floor as I moved back to my bed, yawning.

Jake followed eagerly, watching me closely with his bright eyes. I smiled down at him and crawled back into the bed, glad that Esme hadn't caught me up and about after dark…

Upon seeing me covered up with my blankets, he crouched carefully before he leapt up into the bed as well, stepping right over me to take the unoccupied side of the bed. I stared at him as he laid his massive body down beside my smaller one, resting his warm, soft head down on my pillow.

I felt safe with Jake here, and I let him stay right where he was. He snuffled my hair briefly before he rested his head near mine, obviously comfortable.

My face found it's way into the long ruff of fur around his neck, and I closed my eyes tiredly, letting myself sleep.

* * *

EsPOV

"Esme?"

I turned my head quickly as Alice came into the kitchen, dressed and ready for her day.

"Hello, dear," I said gently, making her smile softly.

"Where's the dog?" she asked confusedly as Carlisle glanced up from his place at the table.

"I haven't seen him yet," I admitted, suddenly nervous.

That animal could be wreaking havoc anywhere in the house…

"He's not outside," Alice said, ignoring everyone else as they came into the dining room. Today's breakfast- pancakes and bacon- was already laid out on the table for everyone, but Alice seemed more concerned about her "puppy", than eating her food.

"Where's Boo?" asked Emmett softly as he sat down, snatching three of the largest pancakes for himself. Alice frowned at that as well, obviously very distracted.

"She hasn't been down yet," I said.

"Let her sleep," said Carlisle, speaking up for the first time this morning. "She needs her rest."

Emmett, subdued and slightly impatient, simply nodded and began dishing the rest of his food. Patience had never been Emmett's strongest attribute, and I knew how it bothered him to have to wait to be reunited with his youngest sister.

Emmett had been rambling nonstop about his "Boo" for over six weeks now, ever since we learned she'd been found. Of course, Carlisle and I hadn't even hesitated to say yes when the authorities had called, asking if we'd take in the youngest Swan child.

"Edward, was Jake upstairs?" asked Alice, turning to my tousled son as he came into the dining room.

"No," said Edward quietly, glancing up at Alice sadly.

Even though Alice was a year older than he was, he had taken on quite the protective roll with her… they had a special bond. Edward had identified with the bubbly girl more than he had with any of the other children.

"He's usually waiting to pee," offered Emmett with an indifferent shrug, glancing over at her.

"He's not at either of the doors," she said angrily, sitting down as she grabbed two pancakes for herself before they all disappeared. Jasper and Rosalie remained silent, neither one of them able to upset Alice by expressing their dislike for her dog.

"Is he outside already?" asked Carlisle nervously, knowing full well that the animal would have torn up the flower beds in two seconds without supervision.

"No," said Alice, sighing. "The flowers are still intact."

"Maybe Bella saw him," I asked, frowning at the very idea. Carlisle's head whipped up quickly, looking nervous.

A sheltered, very much naïve girl like Bella was certain to be startled by the massive beast we called our family pet. Would she even know what a dog was?

"Her door's closed," said Edward quickly, seeing his father's worry.

Carlisle relaxed significantly, making Alice sigh. Jake might be crafty, but he had yet to acquire thumbs that allowed him to open doors.

"I'll go look again," said Alice sadly, standing as she took her plate to the sink. Rinsing it dutifully, she loped off in the direction of the sitting room, determined as ever.

"Maybe he got outside and ran away," said Emmett cheerfully, as soon as Alice was out of earshot. Carlisle shot him an amused glance before he returned to his newspaper, reading quietly.

"Is Bella coming down for food?" asked Jasper confusedly, making Emmett glance back at me quickly.

"I haven't seen her this morning. I assumed she was still asleep," I said quietly, smiling softly.

"Would she know to get up, when she woke up?" asked Rosalie practically, making Emmett frown. "I mean, in that whacko place, who knows what she was and wasn't allowed to do."

I hadn't thought of that, and I glanced at the clock.

9:02.

"I'll go check," I said softly, making Carlisle sigh as he folded up the paper and tossed it on the counter, watching me.

"Try not to startle her," he advised quietly.

I nodded, taking my plate to the kitchen on my way. Quietly, I made my way to the stairs, passing Alice along the way as she called out softly for her missing animal.

"He'll turn up," I said confidently. "He always does."

Alice merely smiled sadly and opened Jasper's door, ensuring that he hadn't found his way in there during the night.

Jasper was the only one of our children who slept with his door open.

The third floor came quickly, and exactly as Edward had said downstairs, Bella's door was closed.

I knocked softly, hoping I wouldn't wake her if she was still asleep.

No response.

"Bella?" I asked gently, being as quiet as I could.

Silence.

Gently, I cracked the door open and peeked inside.

I stared at the sight before me.

There, in her new bed, was little Bella, sleeping soundly on her pillow.

Beside her, however, awake as ever, was our large, furry dog. Bella had her arm wrapped around his massive chest as she snuggled into his neck, letting the dog's head rest against her hair. Jake glanced over as I peeked inside, but made no move to get up.

Bella must have let him in during the night.

"Come on, Jake," I said softly, not wanting Bella to be startled by the large beast when she woke.

Jake watched me, bored, refusing to move from his new place by her side. Without my consent, a small, sad smile found its way onto my face, and I simply sighed, backing out of the room quietly.

I left the door open, in case the dog wanted out before she woke up.

Jake shocked me by remaining in the bed, obviously preferring her company to the prospect of his morning outside time.

When I arrived back in the dining room, I found my frantic Alice interrogating Emmett about her dog.

"The dog's fine, Alice," I said quietly, making her turn.

"Where is he?" she demanded indignantly, her worry being replaced with irritation.

"Sleeping with your sister," I admitted quietly, making her frown.

"With Bella?" she asked confusedly. "How'd he get in there?"

"She must have let him in last night," I said, shrugging. "They're snuggling."

"Snuggling?" asked Emmett, obviously concerned for his sister's welfare.

"He won't come downstairs," I warned, earning me a small smile from Alice.

"Good boy, Jake," she said fondly, sitting herself down easily as I smiled.

"Well, Bella's not scared of him, then," said Emmett, sounding quite put out.

Alice glared at him icily before she grinned at me.

"We can keep him?" she asked hopefully.

"I think so," I said carefully, not making any promises. "As long as she's not scared of him."

"Oh Esme, he's _snuggling _with her!" cried Alice happily. "She's not scared."

"We'll see," I said sternly, earning me a grin.

Edward returned from the kitchen with a cup of peppermint tea- his favorite morning drink- when we all heard a loud, familiar snuffling coming from the stairs.

"There's my baby," said Alice fondly, glancing towards the dining room entrance expectantly.

We all expected to see the large, furry dog making his way arrogantly into the dining room, but what we did _not _expect was to see his mouth gently clamped around a small, scarred arm.

"Jake!" cried Alice, scandalized as the dog led sleepy little Bella into the dining room, looking confused and quite frankly, alarmed.

"I'm so sorry, Bella!" she cried, embarrassed as she stepped forward.

Bella, looking quite leery, shot back quickly, forcing the dog to let her go.

Jake whined, and Alice halted, having forgotten her sister's nervous fear.

Rosalie, Edward, Emmett and Jasper all watched in amazement, none of them having been introduced to Bella yet. Emmett's eyes were glued to her scarred, marked arms angrily, though he kept quiet. Carlisle, trying to look as non-threatening as possible, simply remained in his seat instead of trying to interfere with the abominable dog.

I knew he was itching to toss him outside for his behaviour.

"Did he scare you?" asked Alice worriedly, glancing angrily at the dog. Bella, startling all of us, shook her head quickly, obviously unsure what to do with herself.

"No," she said softly. "He's nice."

Emmett stared at her, incredulous, though he kept quiet. Bella glanced down at the dog as his tail swung happily from side to side, his eyes watching the newcomer expectantly.

"He's warm," she whispered, making Alice smile as she nodded.

"I'm glad you like him," she said, right before Jake darted for the table, sliding underneath to lick up whatever tidbits might have fallen from the plates. The grotesque noises he made were enough to make anyone lose their appetites, but Bella simply watched him interestedly, looking more engaged than I'd seen her yet.

Jake seemed to take away some of her inherent nervousness, and I was glad.

"Have a seat, Bella," said Alice airily, glancing at her older brother carefully. Emmett, glancing at Bella worriedly, watched as she took the nearest seat to her- the only one that hadn't been used yet today.

"Are you hungry, dear?" I asked carefully, making her stare again.

She obviously didn't know what I meant, just as she hadn't last night, and her confusion seemed to anger and offend Emmett.

Carlisle excused himself quietly, making Bella tense as he walked past her seat to leave the room. All the children noticed her tension around their father.

"Here we go, Bella," I said softly taking a clean plate from the counter as I served her two pancakes and a few pieces of bacon. She watched carefully as I placed it in front of her, and I knew instantly that the poor dear was hungry.

"Thank you," she said automatically, glancing up at me sheepishly.

Jake made his reappearance from his escapade under the table, and decided he'd be best suited to lie at Bella's feet.

Alice frowned.

"No, Jake," she said sternly, making Bella's head whip up. She watched sadly as Alice forced the dog away from her feet, and out of the room where he couldn't beg for her food.

Alice watched carefully as Bella took a small bite of breakfast, looking edgy again.

With the dog gone, she felt unsafe.

She didn't say a word as she ate, the plate's contents slowly disappearing as she ate it bit by bit. I had a feeling she'd eaten her fill about three quarters of the way through the plate, but she forced down the rest of it, obviously scared of wasting any. When the food was finished, I smiled gently and took her plate away quickly. She watched as I rinsed it off and placed it in the dishwasher.

The dishwasher seemed to intimidate her a bit, and she watched it warily as I put the soap inside and started it up.

Emmett noticed, and frowned slightly.

"Hey Boo," he said quietly, making Bella turn quickly as she stared at him.

She obviously had no idea who "Boo" was, although she seemed to understand he was speaking to her.

"Hello," she said quickly, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"How've you been?" he asked carefully, assessing her every reaction.

"Fine," she squeaked, nodding to herself as she glanced at the doorway again.

Jake, watching her from the living room, got up quickly and trotted over, returning to sit next to her.

"You know you can just tell him to get lost, if he's bugging you," said Emmett quickly, glancing distastefully at Jake. Bella, looking rather startled, shook her head quickly and patted Jake's back fondly.

The dog rested his head in her lap, undoubtedly drooling on her pants.

"I like him," she said quietly, earning a smile from Alice.

"Oh good," she said, making Bella jump again.

She was much too fearful of those who loved her.

"How did you sleep?" asked Alice eagerly.

"Good," said Bella softly, avoiding her gaze. "He's warm," she repeated, leaning down to examine the dog again.

Alice frowned at her preoccupation with the dog, but said nothing.

"That's good," she said softly, glancing at the other four kids at the table. Rosalie watched Bella carefully, pity and sadness evident in her gaze.

"Do you know these four?" asked Alice carefully, pointing at the others.

Bella glanced up at her and shrugged, her gaze flickering to Emmett.

"Emmett," she said, her voice uncertain.

"Yep," said Emmett happily, obviously glad that she remembered something about him.

"That's Jasper," said Alice fondly, pointing directly at Jasper. He smiled at her and she stared, undoubtedly afraid of him as she was of Carlisle.

I sighed, occupying myself at the kitchen counter.

"That's Rosalie," she said, pointing out the blonde bombshell, "and this is Edward."

Bella simply nodded, glancing at each new person in turn, ending with Edward. He offered her a smile, and she seemed even more irrationally fearful of him.

"Well, times a-wasting," said Emmett casually, lifting himself off of the chair he was seated on.

Bella froze, making Jake whimper nervously at her side.

"Boo?" asked Emmett nervously, glancing at me quickly. I frowned, walking forward quickly.

I hoped she wouldn't panic…

"Sorry," gasped Bella quickly, inching away from Emmett as he walked forward. Emmett looked baffled by her sudden fear, and the whole table was startled when she jumped up from her seat, backing up quickly.

Jake followed dutifully, eying Emmett carefully as he stood before the scared girl, looking ready to protect as he saw fit.

"Sorry for what?" asked Emmett, chuckling through his own nervousness. Bella stared at him as he walked even closer to her, having to move closer to reach the entranceway to the sitting room.

"Sorry," she repeated, quickly shaking her head as Jake offered her hand a small lick.

She didn't react to the dog's affection as I watched.

"Don't be afraid," I said sadly, making her nod quickly.

"Sorry," she repeated, her voice no more than a breathy gasp by this point.

"See you later, Boo," said Emmett quickly as he left the room entirely, sensing that he was the one causing her distress.

No one knew exactly what to say as Bella remained pressed against the wall, the large dog by her side. Rosalie frowned deeply, looking both disturbed and upset by Bella's behavior as she followed Emmett out into the sitting room.

Bella stared at the floor for a moment longer, tears pooling in her brown eyes.

Jasper was watching her closely as Alice sighed.

Jake snarled worriedly, his large mass pacing to and fro before her.

He barked, and she jumped in pure fear.

"Jake," snapped Alice quickly, earning no reaction from either her sister, or the dog.

He barked again, and Bella stared at him confusedly.

"What?" she asked shakily, making the dog whimper before he let out a string of loud, piercing barks.

"Jake!" cried Alice angrily, obviously thinking he'd scare her. "Enough!"

He continued to bark worriedly, nudging her hand with his snout.

"Shh."

Bella's soft shushing was all it took for the dog to fall silent as the grave, his head cocked.

Alice stared in shock as the dog- usually so badly behaved- listened to the soft, timid command from her sister.

Jake sat down in front of her, still quiet as he kissed her hand.

I was astonished.

Bella shook terribly as she stared down at the dog's face, his tongue still darting out to her hand at regular intervals.

She let out a shaky breath, and I sensed the ensuing panic, wishing I could do something to alleviate her anxiety. I knew, from experience, that she would send herself into hysterics if she refused to calm down, and I wondered what I would be allowed to do for her…

The dog whimpered again, though the sound was soft and hesitant. Emmett, having peeked his head into the room once more, was staring at the dog and his sister, obviously wondering what sort of powers she possessed to have such control over Jake.

The problem escalated when Bella caught sight of him.

She shifted her stare from the dog to her massive brother, looking more fearful than ever before as she backed into the wall again, her chest working frantically.

Jake, ignoring all commands, barked again, his hair raised on end.

"Carlisle?" I called softly, forcing my kind husband into the kitchen with me. Frowning, he caught sight of Bella's shaking form against the wall and he sighed, bracing himself for what was to come.

Everyone glanced between Carlisle, Bella and Jake as Carlisle spoke.

"Relax, please," he said gently.

Her startled, terrified glance turned instead to Carlisle, making her entire body shake.

Before any of us could so much as react to her, she found some inner strength and bolted from the dining room, past her burly brother and straight into the sitting room.

She had yet to learn her way around the house, and I saw how she hesitated, unsure where to go.

Carlisle, frowning, stepped forward, deeming her health and safety more important than preventing her irrational fears. Bella let out a loud gasp as she stumbled backwards, the tears that had been pooling finally falling down onto her cheeks.

"Calm down," said Carlisle kindly, trying his hardest to seem kind and thoroughly safe.

He failed, and she shot backwards, tripping over her own feet as she fell to the floor with a loud bang.

Emmett, being the closest to her besides my husband, simply watched in shock as Carlisle knelt down a few feet from her, watching her carefully.

Jake barked and lunged forward as Emmett snatched up his collar, restraining him.

"What's scaring you?" asked Carlisle kindly, speaking much more calmly than I'd expected him to in this situation.

"Please…" begged Bella sadly as he reached out, forcing her backwards again.

Carlisle frowned, freezing in place as she scampered back into the far wall- away from him.

"Come here," he said kindly.

She stared, shaking her head wildly.

"Please, please, please…" she begged.

"Please what?" he asked idly, trying to maintain his calm composure.

She stared at him wildly before she curled in on herself, the sound of her ragged breathing reaching even my ears.

The other kids- Jasper, Rosalie and Edward- all retreated, obviously not wanting to intrude on Bella's little episode.

Carlisle sighed as she simply refused to answer, reaching out again.

"No, please…" she said again, making him frown.

"Please what?" he asked for the second time.

What had those monsters done to her to make her so fearful of my husband?

"You're perfectly safe here," he offered gently.

"No, no, no…" she moaned, her hands curling in her hair as she pressed her face into her knees.

"Bella, please," said Carlisle worriedly. "This isn't healthy."

She simply shivered as Jake yanked on Emmett's hold, determined to free himself from his grasp.

"Take a deep breath," he coaxed.

I frowned, my own eyes filling with tears as I watched this new production.

The poor dear.

"What did I do?" asked Emmett quietly, looking confused and guilty as Carlisle waited for Bella to respond. Alice, standing next to me, simply sighed, looking very put out.

"She's fragile," I said reassuringly. "It's not your fault."

"I know," said Emmett quickly, "but I need to know what I did."

"Nothing," said Alice sadly, looking tearful.

"Please, no," begged Bella again as Carlisle reached out. He ignored her pleas and took her wrist gently in his hand, feeling the thrumming of her pulse beneath the thin membrane of flesh.

He frowned at his findings.

"You're fine," said Carlisle sadly, letting her hand go as she yanked it in, her hands gripping her hair in a painfully hard grip.

"Let go," said Carlisle sadly, prying her hands from her head.

She burst into tears at his interference, her hands remaining stiff and open palmed as she forced herself to obey his every command.

He looked worried by her behavior.

"No one will hurt you here," he said honestly. "Not me, not Emmett, not anyone."

Emmett stared, appalled at Bella's thought-process.

"Hurt her?" he demanded in a whisper turning to me. "What the fuck does she think I am?"

"I don't know, dear," I admitted gently. "She's scared."

He fell silent, sighing angrily as he forced the noisy dog to sit and be quiet.

Bella's tears were noisy and all-consuming, and I wondered at the amount of noise coming from such a timid, quiet little thing. Although she tried to keep the sound muffled by her pants, she failed, and the sound resonated through the whole room, shaking me to the core.

She should never cry so.

"Can you hear me?" asked Carlisle, not unkind, as he examined Bella without touching her.

She shook and her tears increased in volume.

Alice, unable to stop herself, slid right past me and her brother, sitting down beside her father as Bella's panic ensued.

I wondered how she was dealt with in that disgusting hospital she was kept in, and I instinctively knew that they must have used harsh, inhumane punishments in response to her panic.

Her arms were ample evidence.

"Bella…" said Alice tearfully, making Bella's tears halt for a mere moment before they started right back up. Seeing Carlisle's ability to make physical contact with her, Alice reached out and gently rested her hand on the shaking, tense little arm before she scooted closer, managing to keep the reaction from escalating any more.

Carlisle observed, clearly hoping that she'd respond to Alice, if she wouldn't respond positively to him.

"Come here," she said softly, moving herself closer instead of making Bella move. Bella didn't tense as badly as I'd expected as Alice moved as close as she could, wrapping her little arms around the shaking, crying girl.

Bella, shocking even Alice, leaned into the embrace, resting her head on Alice's shoulder.

Carlisle smiled at the slight progress.

"You're okay," said Alice kindly, rubbing Bella's back soothingly. Bella's arms were curled in front of her as Alice supported her slight weight, causing her to uncurl from her tight ball.

As Bella relaxed, Jake's anxiety also eased up and the tension he was applying to his collar lessened significantly.

"Alice…" said Bella softly, making Alice smile sadly.

"You're okay," she repeated, giving Bella's hair a small kiss.

Bella fell silent as her tears abated, simply letting Alice hold her as long as she liked. Bella didn't return the hug, but everyone in the room could sense Bella's strange comfort as she leaned into Alice almost eagerly, taking in the calming presence her sister provided.

Carlisle stood, taking a step back as the anxiety attack receded, being replaced with a sense of tense and exhausted calm. Bella's shirt had ridden up somewhat during her little fit and I was appalled to see more- even darker- marks covering the whole of her lower back. Alice noticed as well, frowning deeply, but keeping silent as she fixed the shirt and continued her soothing backrub.

Jake, feeling the atmosphere lightening in the room, relaxed as well, sitting down on Emmett's feet.

"Sorry," Bella whispered again, making Alice shush her quickly.

"Don't apologize," she said sternly. "You've done nothing wrong."

Bella fell silent, though I was certain she wanted to apologize again.

The two girls remained on the floor for a few minutes longer, neither one saying even a word as the last of Bella's tears dried up. She still shook against Alice's small frame, but her tears and crying had abated completely, and she seemed to be a little more rational than she'd been mere minutes before.

"Better?" asked Alice quietly, speaking kindly. Bella simply shrugged, and I saw her arms drop down as she finally returned Alice's embrace.

I was glad she could feel somewhat safe with Alice, even if Carlisle seemed to scare her.

"Can you stand?" asked Alice quietly, not daring to loosen her grip.

Bella nodded quickly and Alice helped her to her feet. Bella continued to hide her face in Alice's shoulder, trying to steady her shaky breathing as best she could. She didn't let go, either.

"Let's sit on the sofa," decided Alice calmly, bringing herself and her clinging sister to the sofa awkwardly, managing to sit them both down easily. Emmett, having loosened his hold on the dog, lost his grip on the collar when Jake yanked himself forward and leapt gracefully onto the couch next to Bella, sitting carefully.

He watched diligently, and Alice patted his head happily.

"Good puppy," she said fondly.

Bella's tearful face reappeared at the mention of the dog, and she turned sadly, watching him.

"Hi," she said quietly, patting his snout affectionately. He kissed her hand briefly before he laid down, his head resting on Bella's exposed foot.

"Are you tired?" asked Alice, glancing down at the small girl in her arms.

"A little," whispered Bella awkwardly.

"Do you want to go upstairs and lie down?" she offered.

"No, thank you," said Bella quickly, her tears returning at the very idea.

"You don't have to," assured Alice quickly, kissing her cheek in her classic way, "but you _can, _if you want to. You can do whatever you want to."

"Okay," said Bella quietly, laying her head back down on Alice's shoulder.

Carlisle seated himself carefully in an armchair as he gestured for Emmett and I to do the same. Emmett sat on the opposite end of the room- on the loveseat- and I sat down on the armchair closest to Alice.

The room was silent as the grave as Alice diligently held onto her little sister, both girls still and seemingly calm. Bella's face was hidden by Alice's shoulder, and after only a few moments of silence, Alice spoke quietly.

"Hand me that," she said to Emmett, pointing at the fluffy blanket draped over the armrest of the loveseat.

Emmett, wary and nervous, stood, watching Bella closely as he approached with the blanket. Bella didn't react, and I quickly discovered why as Alice snatched a decorative pillow from behind the dog.

Bella had fallen asleep.

Alice stood up carefully and laid Bella down on the pillow, her tearstained face more relaxed and childlike than ever as she draped the thick blanket over her to ensure her warmth. Jake, upon seeing his new friend's slumber, simply stood up and moved even closer to her, resting his head in the crook of her knees as she curled up into a little ball. Bella seemed to enjoy his warmth, even in her sleep, and I was overjoyed to see a small smile form on her lips as she slept.

It might not have been conscious happiness, but at least it _was _happiness.

"What was that?" demanded Emmett, once he was sure Bella was deeply asleep. Carlisle sighed sadly, shrugging carefully as Emmett watched him angrily for answers.

"She's anxious," he said quietly, making sure he wouldn't wake her up. "Something set her off."

"What?" demanded Emmett indignantly.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Something when you stood up."

"When I stood up?" quoted Emmett incredulously, glancing over at his sleeping sister. Alice joined him carefully on the loveseat, sighing sadly.

Her shirt had tearstains on it now, though she didn't seem to mind as she normally would.

"I think so," said Carlisle. "It could have been anything at all- a memory, an experience, just the newness of the situation… maybe you look like someone she remembers," he offered.

Emmett fell silent, mulling over the options in his head.

"I want her to like me," he said sadly, earning him a small Alice-hug.

"She will," said Alice confidently. "Just give her some time."

"Yeah," said Emmett distractedly, sighing as he stood up quickly and moved towards the stairs.

No doubt to find Rosalie.

"Let her rest," suggested Carlisle quietly, watching the girl with a fierce compassion in his eyes.

"I will," I assured, earning me a gentle smile.

Alice remained downstairs with her sister and I as Carlisle, ever the worker, stood to go to his study, no doubt ready to analyze some of the books he had on pediatric psychiatry in his study.

**A/N: Poor Bella... she's not very mentally stable right now, but things will look up eventually.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 5**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter for all of you... it's been about a week, so I'm not _really _off schedule. Hopefully I'll find some time to get more story written (I have up to chapter 8 done) and I'll be able to get more chapters out much faster.**

**Enjoy!**

BPOV

Felix.

Felix, Felix, Felix… when Emmett stood up in the dining room yesterday morning, all I could remember was Felix.

Felix the orderly.

I'd tried to tell myself that Emmett wasn't Felix, that he was Emmett- my brother- but all I could think about was Felix and his hands. Felix and his needles. Felix and his-

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

Felix.

I shivered at the very thought of him- he was almost as bad as the Doctor himself. I hated Felix, and I hated the Doctor, and I hated the institute…

I shivered as I sat up in my bed, sunlight shining through the curtains as Jake shifted sleepily beside me.

He wasn't awake yet, and I didn't want to wake him up by getting out of my bed. He'd been such a good friend to me all of yesterday and last night, that I couldn't bear to be the one to disturb his rest. He'd stayed up with me into the late hours of the night last night when I couldn't sleep, and I knew he was tired now.

He was snoring.

I laid back down beside him, letting him sniff my face in his sleep. I ignored his dog-breath for his sake, simply patting his head gently as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

They felt sticky, thanks to my crying yesterday. I'd thrown quite the little fit after remembering Felix, and to this very moment, I was shocked that Esme and Doctor Cullen hadn't tried to punish me.

Surely Carlisle had something to punish me with? He was a doctor, after all…

And poor Emmett… he scared me, that much was certain, but he looked so sad when I'd been afraid of him yesterday.

I wondered if he was _anything _like Felix… maybe he wanted to be an orderly too.

He and Felix had the same hair colour and the same build- something I hadn't noticed until he stood up. I'd known he was big, just from seeing him at the other side of the table, but when he stood, I found out exactly how big he really was… all the things he could do to me if he wanted to.

Felix had overpowered me and so could Emmett-

"Bella?"

I jumped nervously as the door cracked open gently, and Alice poked her head inside.

Alice… she was my new safe place. Danielle was gone, and Alice was here… she was safe.

"Good morning," she said gently, stepping inside when she saw I was awake.

"Hi," I replied in a whisper, grimacing as Jake snorted loudly, his breath smelling absolutely foul. Alice giggled softly, waking the dog up from his slumber.

"He's a sweet puppy," she cooed, making Jake's long tail wag, thumping against the bed. I nodded softly, sitting up carefully as she sat down next to me, looking hesitant.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked gently.

"Yes," I said quickly, trying not to be embarrassed by my panic yesterday.

I'd felt quite sick after waking up on the couch, resulting in Alice fussing over me and coaxing me into bed again. I was glad that Esme let Jake come along too without so much as a frown. I'd been brought my lunch and dinner in bed, and Alice sat with me, making sure I ate enough.

She thought I was too thin.

"Are you sure?" she asked sternly, looking at me closely as I nodded, trying not to be too jittery around her.

It seemed to upset her when I was scared, especially of her.

"Okay," she said gently, smiling again as she leaned back on my bed, sighing.

"You can shower, then we'll go down for breakfast," decided Alice suddenly, sitting up carefully.

"Okay," I agreed quickly, having no idea how to work the shower in the bathroom.

Hopefully I'd figure it out before Alice got angry with me.

"Come on," she coaxed, grabbing some clothing out of the closet before she ushered me into the bathroom.

"Jake-" said Alice impatiently, staring as the dog shoved past her and made the mat in front of the sink his new bed.

I smiled softly, the feeling strange and foreign to me.

"Whatever," said Alice indifferently, stepping over the dog as she moved to the bathtub.

"Turn on the taps," she instructed, "and when it's hot enough, just push this knob in, and it'll turn the shower on. To turn it off, just pull the knob back out and turn the taps off."

"Thanks," I said quickly, making her smile as she stepped back over the dog and left the bathroom, leaving me to my business.

I was unused to the strange courtesy I'd discovered in this house.

Following Alice's instructions, I managed to work the shower properly. Luckily, I'd learned how to shower in the institute, even if I had no idea how to even approach brushing my own hair, and I knew how to wash myself.

I was done in a matter of minutes, knowing how impatient Felix got when I took too long for my showers. Alice had left me two towels- one for my body and one, she told me, for my hair, and I wrapped myself up most carefully before Alice knocked softly.

"Are you covered?" she asked.

"Yes," I said hesitantly, not sure why she cared.

She opened the door, and I yelped in shock.

"Sorry," she said quickly, stopping dead in her tracks. "I thought I'd help-"

"It's okay," I said quietly, turning away as she came in and locked the door behind her.

I didn't want Alice to see the marks… maybe she'd tell the doctor, or that light-haired boy- Jasper- and they'd get ideas.

Maybe Emmett would get ideas too…

"Move Jake," she said impatiently, forcing the dog out of her way as she opened a drawer he'd been blocking. She pulled out a small bag and placed it on the counter, procuring a hairbrush and some other products I'd never seen before.

I recognized one, after she handed it to me, as deodorant. I'd learned about that in the hospital, and I was glad that I could apply it all on my own.

"There," said Alice, taking it back and putting it away before she approached me carefully.

"Get dressed," she said patiently, guiding me through my new bathroom duties.

She turned around as I pulled out the bra, underpants, shirt, socks and pants, managing to figure them all out.

The shirt had long sleeves, and I was glad for her choice.

"You look very pretty," decided Alice, making my face heat up.

_She's not Felix, _I repeated to myself, forcing the panic down.

Alice didn't mean it as Felix had.

"Thank you," I said quietly, hearing my shaky voice. She ignored it, simply smiling at me as she brought me out into the cool air of my bedroom, sitting me down on a chair.

"This will keep the frizzies away," said Alice affectionately, showing me a bottle.

"Frizzies?" I asked, confused.

"Your hair," she explained. "It'll keep it from getting frizzy."

"Okay," I said, having no idea what "frizzy" hair could be, but frizzy was an interesting word and right then, I knew I'd have to find out what it meant.

Eventually.

Alice, smiling, turned me to face the mirror in the bedroom and squirted some clear gooey gel into her hands, rubbing them together. I stared as she ran her fingers through the knots in my hair, putting the stuff all the way down to the ends.

"There," she said gently. "I'm sorry if the brush pulls a bit. If I hurt, just let me know."

She would hurt me?

I was terribly confused, but as soon as she showed me the hairbrush, I knew what she meant.

Sometimes, it hurt to pull through the tangles.

But Alice was so gentle! She brushed carefully, not tugging even once like Felix and the Doctor used to…

I shivered, letting Alice finish.

"There," she said, satisfied with her work as my hair began to dry. I glanced up in the mirror, and instantly knew what she meant by "frizzies".

The fluffy bits of hair that always poked out at strange angles weren't there anymore… they were flat and smooth like the rest of my hair. I looked different already, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

Everything here was so different.

"Is it okay?" asked Alice nervously, making me nod quickly.

"It's nice," I said, saying the only words I knew that would gain her approval. This room was "nice", the bed was "nice" and Alice's hairdo was "nice".

It was one word I knew how to use properly.

"Oh good," she said, relieved as she kissed my cheek.

I jumped, still unused to her strange ways, but she ignored it, still smiling.

Jake kissed my hand in his special dog way, and I patted his head.

"I think we're ready," she said suddenly, looking at me happily.

"Ready for what?" I asked nervously, making her frown.

"Don't worry," she said. "We're just going downstairs."

"Oh," I replied, feeling stupid.

"Breakfast," she reminded me.

"Okay."

Alice, smiling to herself, took me by the hand and drew me up from the chair, pushing it in for me. Jake followed the two of us as we left my bedroom, closing the door behind us, and made our way down to the first floor of the house, right into the dining room.

I felt my face heating up at the memories of yesterday's breakfast, but Alice paid it no attention as she sat me down in the same chair I'd had yesterday.

"Do you like cereal?" she asked me carefully, opening a cupboard.

"Yes," I said instantly, not daring to tell her that I wasn't fond of milk.

I'd eat whatever she put in front of me.

"Okay," she said, pouring some cereal and milk into a bowl, placing it before me with a spoon and a napkin.

Cereal was something I'd eaten often in the institute.

Dutifully, I raised the spoon to my mouth, chewing carefully. Granted, it was much tastier than the cereal we'd been force-fed in the institute, but it still wasn't appetizing. Alice sat next to me with her own bowl, and I noticed that the rest of the household wasn't anywhere to be seen. Alice ate carefully and I finished first, simply setting my spoon in my bowl as I waited for her to be done.

I knew that after you ate, the dishes had to be cleaned… and I didn't trust that thing of Esme's that Alice had called the "dishwasher".

I'd make sure they got cleaned properly, and I'd make Esme very pleased with me so she wouldn't have any reason to get angry.

Maybe Doctor Cullen would be pleased as well…

"Here Bella," said Alice, reaching out to take my bowl. Before she could, I snatched it up, taking hers as well. Alice smiled briefly as I moved to the sink, where Esme had placed the dishes the day before, placing them inside.

I saw a dishcloth hanging from the tap's spout, and there was a small bottle of dish soap sitting beside the hot water knob.

Esme expected me to clean them up, and I was glad I'd noticed these signs instead of simply leaving them for someone else to do. As I placed the familiar plug in the sink and began to fill it with hot, soapy water, Alice watched me.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously, resting against the counter.

"The dishes?" I asked, confused. The sink was full and I turned the taps off, dipping my cloth into the water.

"We have a dishwasher," she told me, pointing to the silver thing a few feet away. I simply glanced at her, then the "dishwasher", frowning as I took the few other dirty dishes- a coffee mug, spoon and a breakfast plate, placing them alongside the bowls Alice and I had used.

Alice frowned, watching as I picked up the large plate, wiping it off carefully.

"Bella, dear?"

I gasped, nearly dropping the soapy plate as I wheeled around, seeing Esme- dressed and clean- standing in the doorway to the kitchen with a dirty mug in her hands.

"Hello," I whispered, wondering if she was angry with me.

Perhaps I was supposed to do the dishes _before _I ate…?

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" she asked, glancing at the sink.

"Dishes," I offered, making her smile.

"Oh, honey, you don't have to do that," she said, rushing forward. When she was close enough, I simply took the mug from her, placing it alongside the other dirty dishes.

"It's okay," I said, making sure she knew that _I _knew what I was supposed to do.

Dishes had to be done, I knew that.

I wasn't completely stupid.

She simply watched me, glancing worriedly at Alice, who shrugged.

I had only one mug left to wash when I heard another set of feet coming into the kitchen. Turning quickly, I pressed myself against the counter as Jasper- the blonde boy- came inside, holding a dirty glass.

He looked awkward as he watched me washing dishes, and I wondered what he'd do to me…

"Um…" he said, glancing at Esme before he approached carefully.

"We have a dishwasher, darlin'," he offered, his voice slightly accented.

I wondered where he was from, but that curiosity was overcome by intense fear as he approached, opening the dishwasher. He placed his glass on the empty top rack and I frowned, watching as he kissed Alice's cheek before he left the room.

I didn't like that dishwasher, and as soon as he had left the room, I figured out how to open it, taking out the dirty glass.

"Bella, dear…" said Esme again, frowning lightly as I placed the glass in the soapy water.

"Yes, Esme?" I asked fearfully, my voice shaking.

"You don't have to wash dishes," she said quietly.

"Yes I do," I said firmly, knowing she was fooling me.

Of course I had to. I had to wash the dishes properly… or else Felix got angry.

"No, you don't," she insisted as I cleaned Jasper's glass carefully, rinsing it and sitting it in the drain board next to the sink.

Why was there a drain board if I didn't have to clean the dishes?

"We only wash dishes that can't go in the dishwasher," explained Alice patiently. "Plastics and stuff."

I glanced over at her and made sure I hadn't missed any dishes before I pulled the plug, letting the dirty water disappear into the pipes under the sink.

I knew about pipes… I knew about a few things.

The sink I'd filled for rinsing was also drained, and before long, I had the urge to dry the dishes in the drain board.

"Do you want me to dry them?" I asked, glancing at Esme.

"No, honey," she said quickly. "Thank you for washing them all."

Alice smiled at me as I washed my hands, wiped down the water I'd gotten on the counter and dried my mess.

"What now?" I asked, glancing at Alice.

I didn't do the laundry or the cooking or the mopping or the bedding, but I did do the dishes.

I remembered the dishes… the cups, plates, forks, spoons, bowls.

Never any knives.

"Well, we can watch television, if you want," she offered, shrugging.

"What?" I asked, confused.

What was a "television"?

"The TV?" she offered.

I stared at her and she frowned lightly before she smiled sadly.

"Come on," she said. "Emmett would freak if he found out you had no idea what TV was."

I definitely didn't want that, so I followed her carefully, offering Esme a quiet goodbye before I left.

She smiled, and I was glad that I'd made her happy.

Alice led me into the sitting room, and although it looked like she'd sit down in there, she changed her mind at the last minute, and pointed to the stairs.

"We'll use my TV," she decided. "That way Emmett can't bug you."

"Oh," I said. Why would Emmett want to bug me? Why would he even want to be _around _me?

"Second floor," she told me, stopping on the floor before the one that held my room. I'd never been up here, and I wondered what sorts of things I'd find.

I was much more curious than I should have been, and I wondered whether or not I'd upset Alice if I asked her what a "TV" was.

"In here," she said, stopping in front of a door that looked just like the one going into my room.

_My _room… I wasn't used to that term, but during one of Esme's visits yesterday, she made it very clear that the bedroom with the blue walls, blue bed and bathroom was _my _room, not anyone else's, and that I was most definitely allowed to call it _mine. _It was the first thing I could call _mine._

Alice opened the door and walked inside, taking my hand to tug me along behind her. I didn't mind Alice taking my hand anymore, and I didn't even mind her hugs.

She was my safe place.

"This is my room," said Alice happily, glancing around. It was messier than my room was, with clothes on the floor and a lot of papers covering her table. She had a large black rectangle on her wall, just like I had, but she also had a smaller rectangular thing on the table with the papers.

What was that?

The thing on the wall didn't entice me as much as the one in my room had when I'd noticed it yesterday, but this little one was different… it had a silver edge around it, and all sorts of little buttons underneath. Some were letters, some were numbers, some had lights, and some were just strange symbols that I'd never seen before in my life.

I even saw one with a little picture on it, and I stared.

"That's my computer," said Alice, glancing to see what I was looking at.

The Doctor had a computer too, but his was much different than this one… his had a big box attached to it where he put his discs…

And I'd never seen his letter buttons.

"It's a laptop," she offered.

I nodded, pretending to know what that was.

"This is the TV," said Alice happily, pointing to the large rectangle on the wall.

So I had a TV too… I wondered what it did.

"Sit," she said, pointing to the bed she was sitting on.

I didn't like strange beds, but I sat anyways, glancing over at her.

Jake had followed us inside too, and was sitting at my feet.

Alice grabbed another little rectangle with buttons on it, pressing one expertly. There was an electrical sound that made me start before the screen brightened and a photo came up.

And the photo _moved._

I stared at it, amazed, as Alice giggled, watching me instead.

"It's moving!" I cried, throwing caution to the wind.

If Alice would hit me for my loudness, then fine, but that picture was _moving._

"That's TV," said Alice, smirking. "You've seen it before."

I shook my head, knowing very well I'd have remembered something as fascinating as this before.

I wanted to watch it forever.

"Yes you have, when you were little," she said sadly.

I didn't remember my life when I was little.

"You used to watch Barney, Dora the Explorer and Teletubbies," she told me.

I had no idea what those were, but I wanted to find out.

I suddenly felt a rush of strange, foreign excitement as Alice pressed new buttons, and the moving picture changed.

There were moving drawings now, and I sat up eagerly as Alice laughed.

"There are a lot of shows to choose from," she explained. "Most girls your age like to watch shows like _Gossip Girl, America's Next Top Model, The OC _or_ Degrassi_."

I had no idea what those were, but this little moving drawing of a dog was very fascinating.

"I like it," I said bashfully, feeling my cheeks heating up again. Alice giggled, and I stared at the screen some more.

"You have a TV too," she said. "You must have seen it?"

"I didn't know what it was though," I said, nodding as I turned my head to the side.

It was just as interesting from that angle as from the proper one.

"I'll show you how to work it soon enough," decided Alice. "You'll like having it there."

"Thank you," I said quickly, glancing over at Alice instead. She simply reached over and kissed my cheek, sitting back on her fluffy pillows.

Alice's room was very pink, I noticed.

"Emmett'll be sorry he didn't get to show you the ins and outs of television," said Alice playfully, grinning at me hopefully.

I frowned at the mention of my massive brother… the one who looked like Felix.

"Why are you afraid of Emmett?" she asked me sadly, suddenly turning quiet and calm again instead of cheerful and loud.

I simply fell silent, not daring to tell her about Felix.

I'd already misbehaved enough today… I'd gotten much too excited about this television business. Felix would most definitely track me down and punish me if I told Alice about him.

"You can talk to me, Bella," she said kindly.

I nodded, falling silent again as she sighed.

"Forget I asked," she said quietly, kissing my cheek as I simply nodded.

She watched me, and I grew wary of her. I'd allowed her to lead me into her bedroom, where she kept all her things… maybe she wasn't as safe as I'd thought she was. Maybe she wasn't my safe place. Maybe she knew Felix, and the Doctor and maybe-

"Alice?" called Esme, knocking softly on the door. I jumped in surprise as the door opened and Esme peeked inside, smiling at the two of us.

"What are you two up to?" she asked curiously, glancing at the television.

"Teaching Bella about TV," said Alice quietly, glancing at Esme. Esme nodded slightly, shooting me a kind smile before I felt the strangest urge to follow her instead of staying in here with my sister.

Alice had been very kind to me, but I couldn't help but wonder when her kindness would run out.

Jake whined, and all three of our heads turned to him. He was watching me again, looking anxious.

"Are you alright?" asked Alice worriedly, turning to me quickly. I nodded quickly but Alice didn't believe me for an instant.

"Forget I asked," she repeated sadly, shaking her head. Esme frowned.

"Asked what?" queried Esme, looking nervous.

"Nothing," lied Alice easily, shaking her head. "It's nothing. Forget about it," she told me sternly.

I nodded quickly, not liking the unhappiness in her voice.

"Bella, dear, would you like to come downstairs with me?" offered Esme gently, seeing my anxiety rising. Alice watched me and smiled encouragingly, telling me it was okay.

"Yes please," I said softly, making her smile as she held out her hand to me.

I took it unquestioningly.

"Thanks Alice," I said softly as Alice offered me a small wave with her smile- the smile she always seemed to be giving me- and I left the room with Esme.

Esme closed Alice's door behind us before she led me downstairs, stopping at the sitting room.

"Have a seat dear," she said easily, gesturing to the many chairs around the room. I perched myself on an armchair, making her smile.

"Bella, Danielle called me this morning," she told me.

I glanced up, wondering why.

Danielle had said she was very busy…

"There's a lady from Seattle that's going to be driving up later on today to speak with you," she told me, watching me closely.

"Seattle?" I asked, confused.

"It's a city a few hours away. The airport you came into was in Seattle."

"Oh," I said, nodding.

I was instantly fearful of this lady and her "speaking".

"She'll be in sometime this afternoon," said Esme gently.

"Why?" I asked.

"She needs to speak with you," said Esme quietly. "I don't know about what."

"Oh," I repeated, nodding.

"Carlisle and I have to sit in too," she warned.

Carlisle.

I shivered… the doctor had touched me yesterday. He'd held my wrist, forced my hands away… his hands had touched mine.

His hands felt much kinder than the Doctor's… though I still didn't like them.

"You don't need to be afraid of Carlisle… he'd never hurt you," said Esme.

I nodded, not believing one word.

He most definitely _would _hurt me, as soon as he could manage it. Doctors were very busy people, I knew that much, and he might not have found the time to do it yet, but he would…

"Her name is Denise Loren," continued Esme, "and she's a social worker."

"Okay," I said quietly, avoiding her gaze.

"They said that the topics covered might be a little sensitive," she warned, making my head snap up.

Would they ask about Felix? Or the Doctor, maybe…

I shivered, bringing my feet up to my chest in my chair.

"Don't worry too much about it, honey," soothed Esme. "You'll be fine."

I nodded, not daring to speak.

With those last words, Esme gave me a gentle smile before she stood up, moving towards her kitchen.

**A/N: So there we have it... prepare for another "freak-out" next chapter. Bella's doing exceptionally well for someone in her situation, but we still need to make room for all the behavioural issues that come with her. She's not bad, just scared.**

**Please leave a review!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 6**

**A/N: Here's chater six for all my readers! I hope you enjoy it, even if it is sort of sad.**

BPOV

When Alice had finished with her TV business, she'd come downstairs and found me leaning on the armrest of the chair.

She'd demanded to know whether or not she'd upset me, and whether or not I was angry with her.

No, and no.

Then she wanted to know why I was so sad.

There was a lady coming.

Who was she?

Denise Loren, a social worker from Seattle.

Did I know her?

No.

Did Esme and Carlisle know she was coming?

Yes, Esme was the one who told me.

Was I nervous.

Yes.

Why?

I didn't know.

Was I sure I wasn't upset with her?

Yes, I was sure.

She loved me.

I fell silent, not sure how to react.

She sat next to me, and until Carlisle had come home from his work, she'd remained there.

Then, Jasper had come and stolen her away, smiling kindly at me. She and Jasper, along with Emmett, Rosalie and Edward had left the house entirely, getting into a large sort of car, and the red, roofless car I'd seen on my way in.

Now, I was sitting in the sitting room, in the same seat, with Carlisle sitting on the sofa next to Esme.

Denise Loren was sitting directly across from me, her notepad and briefcase out on the table.

I didn't like it one bit, but I kept my mouth shut.

She wasn't like Danielle at all.

"Hello, Isabella," she said kindly.

"Hello."

My voice was too quiet, and she noticed.

"My name is Denise, and I'm here for the Phoenix Police Department," she said kindly. "I'm here to ask you some questions, and to talk to you about what happened down in Arizona."

"Okay," I said automatically, seeing Carlisle's glance. Denise Loren reached into her briefcase and pulled out a familiar object- a voice recorder like the Doctor had- and she placed it down on the table, pressing "record".

I wouldn't misbehave in front of this lady and give him a bad reputation… maybe he had some leather straps to tie me down with too.

Or a stun-gun.

"How old are you, Isabella?" she asked.

"Sixteen," I said, remembering the number I'd been told in the hospital.

"Alright," she said, smiling at me as the tape recorder took it all in. "Where is the rest of the family?" she asked.

"I don't know," I admitted, watching as she turned to Doctor Cullen and Esme.

"They're gone out to the theatre in Port Angeles for a few hours," said Esme fondly.

The lady nodded.

"So you understand, Isabella, that we have complete confidentiality here?" she asked.

"What?" I asked, not understanding her words. She frowned gently, thinking for a moment.

"Nothing you say will leave this room," she said. "I can't go off and tell these things to anyone else, and neither will Doctor or Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh," I said stupidly.

"Do you understand?" she asked again.

"Yes."

"Great," she said, checking off a box on a paper she had. "You understand that I'll be asking some questions that might make you uncomfortable?"

"Yes," I whispered fearfully.

"Okay." She checked another box.

"Do you know how long you lived in Arizona?" she asked me curiously.

"No," I admitted. "A long time."

"You were six years old," she told me, glancing at her papers. "You were placed into the foster care system down in Phoenix after your parents, Charles and Renee were killed in a car accident."

I simply watched her, having no idea whether what she said was right or wrong.

"You were separated from Emmett and Alice, who were brought straight to the Cullens, and were taken to a residential group home for children."

"Oh," I said. My new favorite word.

"The group home was shut down, but a few of the children, such as yourself, weren't located."

I watched her, not remembering a single thing.

"Do you have any idea how you ended up in that hospital?" she asked me.

"No, ma'am," I said honestly, speaking quietly.

"None at all?" she confirmed.

I shook my head.

"Alright." She consulted her papers again.

"You were in that hospital for approximately 10 years?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said, feeling myself growing more and more anxious.

The "hospital" was what she called the institute.

The Doctor lived there…

"Can you name the employees you knew at the hospital?" she asked.

"The workers at the institute?" I confirmed carefully, making sure I'd understood her.

"Yes, honey," she said gently.

"The Doctor," I said quickly. "He worked there."

"The Doctor?" she asked, confused. "Doctor Dupont?"

I shrugged.

"The Doctor," I repeated shakily.

"Alright. Anyone else?"

I hesitated.

"I'm not supposed to say," I said quietly, shaking my head.

"Who told you that?" she inquired curiously, her pen in her hand again.

I didn't like Denise Loren.

"The Doctor," I said honestly. "No telling…" I shook my head wildly, and Doctor Cullen frowned sadly.

"He's in prison, sweetheart," he said gently. "You can say whatever you'd like here."

I stared at him, frowning.

Which doctor was more dangerous? This doctor, or the Doctor in Arizona…

This doctor, I decided.

"The Doctor, Laurent, Vicky and Felix," I rambled, shaking my head afterwards.

They'd kill me… I knew they would.

"Laurent, Vicky and Felix?" asked Denise Loren.

"Yes," I whispered, feeling the strange tightening in my chest.

I was panicking.

"Who are they?" she asked carefully.

"Orderlies."

"Orderlies?" she asked again. I nodded, wondering if she would always repeat my answers like questions.

"What were they there for?" she asked.

"Vicky and Laurent gave medicine," I recalled, knowing that they hadn't been _my _orderlies. "But not to me."

"Why not to you?" she asked curiously, leaning forward. Esme had a big frown on her face as Carlisle watched me carefully.

Nobody had ever asked about Vicky and Laurent before… or Felix, for that matter.

"They gave it to Betty," I remembered. "She liked to yell."

"Betty?" asked Denise. "Roberta White?"

"Betty," I repeated, confused. "She heard things."

"Heard things?" asked Denise.

"That weren't there… she said there were people that spoke to her."

"She's schizophrenic?" asked Denise.

She's… what? I had no idea what that was, but it didn't sound good.

"She heard things," I repeated, confused.

"Did you ever hear these things?" asked Denise.

"No," I said honestly. "She liked to yell," I repeated.

Betty had always cried out that the voices tried to get her… it had scared me for a long time before I'd gotten used to her.

"They gave medicine to Gino too, and Paul, George and Anna," I remembered.

I missed them, kind of.

"Gino, Paul, George and Anna?" she asked again.

"Yes," I said, annoyed with her repetition.

"Okay," she said, flipping to another paper.

"What about the last one? Felix?"

I stared at her, falling silent.

I didn't like to speak about Felix… he was hurtful.

"Isabella?" she asked, making me shake my head.

"Honey, I need you to answer me, please," she said gently.

"No."

Esme looked at me, shocked. I'd never said a direct "no" in front of her before…

That was okay. She could never hurt as bad as Felix had.

Emmett could have, but he wasn't here, was he?

"Tell me about Doctor Dupont," she said, changing the subject.

The Doctor was worse than Felix.

Feeling the panic increasing, I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"Isabella, I need to know what sorts of things he did to you," she told me. "He'll be put in prison."

"No," I whispered quietly.

"Isabella…" said Denise.

"She said no," said Doctor Cullen forcefully, glancing at Denise.

I stared at him, making him smile at me.

_She said no… _doctors didn't care when you said no- did they?

"Doctor Cullen, I assure you that this information is vital to the prosecution-"

"I don't care," said Carlisle. "She's uncomfortable answering."

"She knew we'd breach uncomfortable subjects, and so did you," she said calmly.

"Yes, and you breached them. You can't force answers out of her," he said simply.

I stared at him, wondering why he was defending me.

He wanted to _hurt _me, not keep me safe…

"What about the other patients, then?" asked Denise Loren, ignoring Carlisle and turning back to me.

"What about them?" I asked quietly, hoping I didn't sound rude.

"What sorts of things did they do?"

"They took their medicine and slept…" I said, frowning. "Gino got tied to his bed," I remembered.

"Why was that?" she asked, checking off another box on her paper.

"Because he snuck out," I remembered. "He wanted out."

"Out of the hospital?" she confirmed.

"Yes."

"Why?"

I stared at her.

"Because they hurt him," I replied angrily.

Gino was a nice man… when he wasn't hollering and trying to escape.

"Who hurt him?" she asked.

"Them," I said vaguely.

"Who?"

"The workers."

"The Doctor, Vicky, Laurent and Felix?" she asked.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Okay."

"How did they hurt him?" she asked carefully, glancing at Carlisle.

"Medicines," I said quickly, nodding. "Lots of medicines."

"Do you know what kinds?"

"No," I admitted. "They were new."

"New drugs?" she confirmed. "Was Doctor Dupont creating new psychiatric medications that weren't approved by the FDA?"

I stared at her, not understanding.

"Was Doctor Dupont making new medicines?" she asked.

"Yes," I said hesitantly.

"New medicines that weren't in the stores?"

"Yes," I said. "They burned."

"Burned where?" she asked quickly.

I shrugged.

"Did he burn you?" she asked me seriously.

I fell silent, not answering her.

"Isabella?" she prompted, making Carlisle frown at her again.

"Yes," I whispered firmly, shuddering at the memory.

"Where?" she asked.

I was confused.

"His medicine burned," I repeated, frowning.

"The drugs burned at the injection site?" she asked.

I knew what the "injection site" was, and I shook my head quickly.

"No."

"They didn't burn?" she asked. It was her turn to be confused.

"The medicine burned," I repeated. "It burned, and burned and burned."

"Where did it burn you?" she asked again, her notepad and pen ready.

"Everywhere," I replied, shivering at the memory.

She stared at me before she wrote something down.

"It made you sore?" she asked again.

"No, it burned!" I said, annoyed.

Carlisle watched me worriedly, sighing heavily as Esme looked away.

"It wasn't _sore," _I said scathingly. "It _burned. _Like fire."

"Alright," she said softly, turning back to me.

"Who gave you this medicine?" she asked.

"The Doctor," I whispered.

"How did he give it to you?" she asked. "Was it a pill?"

I shook my head.

"Needles?"

I shrugged.

"You don't know?" she asked sadly.

"A central line," I remembered, glancing down at the scar on my upper chest.

Those needles had hurt so badly.

"A central line? Where?" she asked.

I pointed to the scar, and she wrote something else down.

"What about an IV?" she asked.

"Sometimes."

"Where would he insert those?" she asked me.

I pointed to the top of my hand.

"Your hand?"

"Yes."

"Anywhere else?"

I pointed to the crooks of my elbows, the underside of my wrists and my feet.

"Your feet?" she asked, confused.

"There's veins there," I said knowledgably. "Those ones hurt."

"Thank you," said Denise.

"Now did Felix ever help the Doctor with medicines?" she asked innocently.

I frowned at the mention of Felix… I hated him.

"Yes."

"Did he ever put in your IVs or central lines?" she asked.

"No."

"What did he give you?" she asked.

"Pills," I remembered.

"Only pills?" she asked.

"And needles. Big, long needles," I added, shivering.

"What kinds of pills?" asked Denise, glancing at Esme and Carlisle for a moment.

Esme was crying and I frowned, falling silent.

"Oh honey, don't you worry about me. I'm alright," she said, her voice quavering the whole time.

I'd upset her, and I fell silent.

"Isabella?" asked Denise. "What kinds of pills?"

I was silent.

"Answer her, honey," said Esme sadly. "Don't mind me."

"All kinds," I whispered, very reluctant to upset her… what if she was angry with me later?

"Do you know any of their names?" she asked.

"Zopiclone," I said quickly.

"Do you know what that's used for?" she asked.

"Sleeping. I didn't sleep."

"Good," she said, nodding at my knowledge. "Anything else?"

"Antidepressants," I offered. "New pills."

"New pills?"

"Yes. The Doctor made them in his office, and Felix brought them to me. They tasted bad," I noted, frowning.

I wasn't as anxious now.

"What about the needles?" she asked. "What sorts of things did he give you then?"

I shrugged sadly, shivering at the memory.

The panic came back and I took a deep breath.

"Did he hurt you?" asked Denise, glancing over at Carlisle quickly. Carlisle's head shot up to me, and I frowned.

"Yes," I said firmly. "The needles hurt-"

"No, honey, did _Felix _hurt you?"

"Felix had the needles…" I said confused. "He poked me."

"Did Felix ever hurt you with his hands?"

"Sometimes," I offered, cringing away from the memories.

Yes, Felix's hands had hurt me…

"What did he do?" she asked.

I fell silent, shaking my head.

"I need to know-"

"She said no," snapped Carlisle angrily, watching Denise Loren carefully.

She sighed, looking annoyed as she changed the subject again.

"Did the needles ever make you sleepy?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, nodding.

"Did they ever make your arms sting?"

"Sometimes," I offered.

"Can I see your arms?"

"What?" I asked, alarmed.

She wanted to _look _at Felix's marks? Was she some sort of doctor?

"May I see your arms, please?" she asked again, standing up and coming closer.

I frowned, shaking my head.

"I need to see your arms, honey, and I need a picture."

"No, thank you," I said stiffly, wrapping my arms around myself.

She sighed, glancing at Carlisle and Esme.

"Just let her look, sweetheart," said Esme gently. "She won't hurt you."

I shivered, looking at Esme pleadingly.

I didn't want to… who knew what sorts of needles she had in her pockets? Denise busied herself by getting her camera out of her briefcase and putting new batteries in it. Esme stood from her spot, tearful and saddened as she knelt in front of me.

I was nervous.

"Honey, please?" she asked gently, taking my hands in her own.

I felt one of my own tears falling down my cheek.

I didn't want to.

"She won't hurt you," she repeated. "It's her job to take pictures and ask questions."

"Why?" I whispered, knowing very well that I'd have to let Esme have her way.

I lived in _her _house, after all, and I wanted to keep living here instead of going back to the institute. I wanted her as happy as possible, so she'd be in a good mood…

"Because it'll help," she said firmly, glancing at her husband. He offered me a tense smile before he turned back to Denise, who had her camera ready.

"Okay," I agreed fearfully. Esme shocked me by not leaving me alone with Denise Loren, but by remaining beside my chair as I lifted my sleeve as high as it would go.

The bruises were still there, where Felix had jabbed me with his needles.

The burns were there too…

"Okay," said Denise. "Three pictures for each arm, then I'll go sit back down, okay?"

"Okay," I said shakily, trying to keep still for her pictures. She took one picture of the bottom part of my arm, one of the upper part, and one of the whole thing.

She repeated that on the other side, and by the time she was done, I was nearly bawling.

She'd show those pictures to the Doctor, and he'd know I'd spoken to her about him…

"There," soothed Esme. "All done."

I shook, sniffling as she took me by the hand and stood me up. She led me with her arm around my shoulders to the couch, sitting me next to her…

…and next to Carlisle.

He didn't scare me half as much as Denise Loren did right now though, and I knew I'd much rather sit on his _lap _than sit alone with her in this room.

She'd be talking to the Doctor now… and maybe Felix. Felix would be piping mad, and he'd come to get me.

He'd get me, and he'd hurt me, and he'd poke me, and he'd-

"Relax, honey," soothed Esme gently, patting my hair just as Danielle had two days ago.

I liked Esme, even if she was a little intimidating to me. Just as I had to Danielle, I leaned my head against her, determined to avoid Denise Loren's questions.

"Thank you, Isabella," she said gently, putting her camera away.

I didn't answer her.

"Can I ask you one more question?" she asked gently.

I couldn't stop her, even if I wanted to.

"Can you tell me what else Felix did?"

I shivered, falling silent.

No, I couldn't answer that.

"We have a written record from that hospital, from your ward," she said, pulling out a paper. She handed it over to Carlisle, who handed it over to me quickly.

It was covered in _his _writing, and as if it were scorching hot, I dropped it to the floor. Carlisle frowned, picking it up closely.

"Can you read that?" asked Denise sadly, making Carlisle sigh.

"No, she can't," he answered, speaking for me. "She can't read very well yet."

"Allow me, then," said Denise, taking the paper back. Esme glared at this lady as she relayed the Doctor's words to me… the very one's he'd written.

"Patient 33 was on dish duty," she began, "and as a side effect of medication 45, was experiencing debilitating tremors. Patient dropped a ceramic dish on the floor, causing lacerations to her left foot. Felix intervened and took the patient back to her holding room. The next day, patient 33 was silent and despondent, unresponsive during her group therapy session. The "stun-gun" proved effective at regaining her attention. During her weekly physical, patient 33 sported new bruises to her upper thighs, hips, abdomen and chest. Upon further gynecological examination-"

I clamped my eyes shut and shoved my face into Esme's front, trying as hard as I could to tune her out. Tears oozed out onto her shirt as she held onto me tightly, shushing me gently.

I was shaking.

"Isabella?" asked Denise carefully, making me sniffle loudly into Esme's front.

I hadn't wanted to cry today…

"Were you patient number 33?" she asked quietly.

I let out a loud cry, causing Carlisle to let out a quiet curse.

He'd _cursed._

_Isabella Swan… patient 33... _

I was patient 33, and Felix had-

I let out another loud cry as I came undone, letting Esme do the work of holding me together.

She was the safest thing in this room, and there was no way I was letting her go.

I cried and cried and cried.

"Thank you," said Denise. "You've given me a lot to work with."

I didn't answer her as my tears persisted.

I'd dropped the dish…

_My hands shook… shook and shook and shook and shook… there was no stopping it. I'd been forced into the kitchen by Felix, since Vicky was off sick._

_I felt sick too, but I still had to wash dishes._

_They were filthy- covered in dirt and old food. They smelled bad._

"_Hurry up, Isabella," said Felix, standing next to the doorway._

"_I am," I said honestly, trying to wash as fast as my shaking arms would allow._

_Those new pills made me shake. I was always shaking, even when I slept._

"_I'm coming back in three minutes, and if you're not done you're going to be in shit!" cried Felix warningly. "Don't make me get angry with you, Isabella."_

"_Yes sir," I gasped, hoping I'd be done in three minutes._

_My arms shook as I lifted the plastic cup out of the sink, wiping it down thoroughly._

_Last time I'd failed to wash the dishes, the stun-gun had had its fun on my arms… they still stung._

_I washed and washed and washed until there was only one thing left to wash… one glass plate that the Doctor had used._

_We didn't get glass._

"_Plate," I said proudly, glad that I at least knew what to call it. Gino and Anna had no idea what the difference between cups, forks, spoons, bowls and plates were._

_I was smartest of all the patients, and I was proud._

_The Doctor said I was dumb, but he didn't know what I knew… this was a _plate, _not a bowl, cup or spoon…_

_I held the glass plate carefully, knowing that glass could break as I washed it off carefully. The water in the sink was a murky color now- not clear and clean as it had been before- but this was the last dish of the day- and the prettiest._

_I always kept the pretty glass flower plate for last. I wanted a flower._

_I'd never seen a real flower… the Doctor had told me what these little shapes around the edges were._

_I wondered if real flowers were as nice as this picture-flowers on the plate-_

"_Isabella!"_

_I gasped, wheeling around as I looked at the door._

_Felix._

_My hands shook even worse, and the plate, being wet, slipped right out of my hands and crashed to the floor._

_SMASH!_

_The entire plate- including the beautiful flowers around the edge- shattered into little pieces, little shards of glass flying in all directions._

"_Goddamn it!" shouted Felix angrily, shoving his way through. He had shoes on, but I didn't, and when he shoved past me, I stumbled, stepping on a large piece of glass._

_It pierced my foot, but I knew better than to cry or scream out… Felix would kill me._

_Dead, dead, dead._

_That's how he wanted me. Felix _hated _me._

"_Look what you did, dumbass," he spat at me. "Fucking incompetent." _

_I shivered at the meanness in his voice…_

"_I'm sorry!" I cried, feeling the panic._

_Felix's special panic…_

_I saw the needle sticking out of his pocket, and I cringed away as he reached out and gripped my arm._

"_Well, maybe you're no dishwasher, but you must be good for _something,_" he said eagerly._

_Good for what?_

_Without another word to me, Felix yanked me forward, right out of the little kitchen space._

_I left bloody footprints all the way down the hallway as he pulled and tugged._

"_In," he grunted- pointing in my room._

_This was my holding room, where I was put if I misbehaved. They called it _my _room, though I was only in it sometimes. I didn't sleep in here. That's what the ward was for._

_My foot burned and stung as he shoved me inside, glancing down the hallway quickly. He shut the door behind him and took out his keys, locking it quickly._

_Only Felix had the keys…_

"_I'm sorry!" I cried, not wanting to be locked in here because of the plate… it was an accident._

_Accident, accident, accident._

"_Shut up," snarled Felix, staring out the little window of the door._

_He pulled the shade, turning to me._

_It was dark._

_Dark, dark, dark._

_He turned on a little light in the corner that he always turned on when he put me in here at nighttime._

_It was nighttime._

"_Come here," he said, his voice different than before._

_I froze, staring at him._

_My foot was bleeding on the floor._

"_Right now, Isabella, we don't have time for this," he ordered, pointing to the spot he wanted me to stand in._

_Right in front of him…_

_What choice did I have?_

_Oh, I'd taken to long and now he'd yanked me forward instead of waiting for me to walk over._

"_Good girl," he said softly, tucking my hair behind my ear._

_And before I knew it, Felix was kissing me._

_Kissing, kissing, kissing…_

_I struggled, but he was big, and he held my arms down._

"_Come on, now, Isabella…" he warned, making me frown as I began to cry._

_I wanted to go to the ward. I wanted the Doctor, I wanted Laurent, I wanted Vicky, I wanted Gino, I wanted Anna, I wanted Betty, I wanted _someone… _Someone that wasn't Felix._

_I had no idea what Felix was doing as he reached behind me- to the hospital gown I wore- and grabbed the string._

_Vicky helped me change, not Felix…_

_Felix wasn't allowed._

_No, no, no._

_The gown was untied, and to my embarrassment, it fell right down to the floor._

"_Shh…" said Felix as I cried loudly, clamping his hand over my mouth as he forced me down onto the padded floor of my holding room._

The memory stopped and I was very glad because by this point, Carlisle was on his feet, Esme was speaking worriedly to me and Denise Loren was already out in her car, halfway down the driveway.

"Bella…" said Esme sadly, her voice just as tearful as my own sounded as my fists clamped onto her shirt.

I would _never _let her go…

Never, never, never.

The sky was dark now… almost nighttime.

"Bella, honey, you need to calm down," said Carlisle gently.

I felt his hand on my back.

I flinched.

"Carlisle…" said Esme sadly, patting my hair gently as I bawled into her shoulder.

Where was Felix now?

He'd hurt me…

"I'm trying, Esme," said Carlisle sadly, sounding a little worried.

Why was he worried?

I decided I didn't care as I gasped for air.

I needed air…

I cried.

Cried and cried and cried.

I wanted Alice back… I wanted my safe place.

Alice, Alice, Alice.

Safe, safe, safe.

Alice, Alice, Alice.

Safe, safe, _safe!_

I chanted in my head.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," said Esme quietly, her tears dripping down onto my hair as she held onto me tightly, not daring to let go.

_Sorry, sorry, sorry…_

Three, three, three.

Three minutes for the dishes.

Three orderlies.

Three social workers.

Three nurses.

Three hours since Alice had left.

Three, three, three.

I hated threes.

"Please calm down, Bella," said Carlisle gently, sitting next to Esme and I.

We were on the same couch cushion… I was on her lap.

"Alice," I choked out.

Where was Alice?

Where had she gone?

Where, where, where?

"They're on their way home, sweetheart," cooed Esme. "They'll be back soon. Very, very soon…"

I cried and Jake barked.

"Quiet," snapped Carlisle, turning to the large dog on the rug.

He obeyed, and I was glad.

I didn't want Carlisle angry with Jake.

"You're safe now," said Carlisle gently, his hand resting on my back.

I felt it move up to my neck, and I stiffened, wondering what he'd do to me.

He pressed two fingers down gently as he felt the pulse there too, sighing heavily.

"Please relax," he begged.

He'd _begged. _

"You're heart rate is much too fast."

Esme sighed worriedly as she tried her best to calm me down.

I wasn't to be calmed.

I heard the sound of cars outside, and I stiffened again.

_Doctor, Doctor, Doctor…_

"There's Alice, sweetheart," said Esme gently.

I heard myself release a most inhuman noise- a sort of ripping noise that came from deep in my chest.

It was uncomfortable for me to hear, so I could only imagine how it startled poor Esme.

Poor, poor Esme… it wasn't her job to keep me calm.

That was my job, and I wasn't doing very well with it.

"Hello?" called a deep voice, making me shiver as the front door closed.

"Alice?" called Esme tearfully.

"Mom?" called Alice confusedly, her voice echoing through the house. "Bella?"

"In the sitting room, please," said Esme.

Her voice cracked.

"What the fuck?" demanded the deep voice, making me shiver.

_Felix, Felix, Felix…_

"Oh, Boo…" said the deep voice sadly.

_Boo._

_I _was Boo.

Emmett.

"Mom?" asked Emmett nervously, glancing at his mother.

Esme was still teary-eyed and sniffling.

"Hello, dear," she said sadly. "Where's your sister?"

"Ali!" cried Emmett as the strange, tearing sound returned, startling Esme terribly. Carlisle stood off to the side, frowning.

"Coming!" cried Alice anxiously.

"Mom?"

Edward…? Yes, that was his name.

Edward.

"What happened?" he demanded, sounding indignant.

"Nothing, dear," said Esme sadly, patting my hair again. "Just a little chat with the social worker."

"Little chat, my ass!" cried Emmett worriedly.

I flinched.

Flinch, flinch, flinch.

I always flinched.

"What did she say?" asked Emmett worriedly.

Where was Alice?

"A lot of things, Emmett," said Carlisle sadly. "We learned a lot."

Emmett was silent, though as I caught a glimpse of him through Esme's hair, he looked sad.

"Oh Bella!" cried Alice as she came into the sitting room, shoving her way past Jasper and Rosalie, stopping right next to me. She brushed the hair away from my face as I bawled, shaking.

"Oh honey, what happened?" she asked worriedly.

I grabbed her, and she looked startled. Esme let me go slowly as Alice sat down carefully, trying her best to comfort.

My safe place.

Safe, safe, safe.

"What happened?" she asked again as all the kids stared.

Even Jasper, Edward and Rosalie, who I hadn't spoken to yet.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"No…" I choked out, making Carlisle sigh sadly as he sat next to me on the sofa.

I didn't even care.

He could do what he wanted… I felt defeated.

Done, done, done.

"What did that bitch do?" demanded Emmett.

I managed not to flinch.

Carlisle simply shook his head, saying a silent no.

No, no, no.

"Not now," he warned.

Emmett stared.

"Boo?"

I cried into Alice's little shoulder, wanting so badly to feel safe… I needed to feel safe.

I would never be safe. Felix would always be there… the Doctor and his medicines would always be there.

Alice wouldn't be… she'd leave, or she'd get hurt, or she'd die… she'd go.

She'd have to.

"Bella," said Alice, alarmed.

I felt the tremors returning- feeling like the tremors from the drug.

Had I been given the drug again? Had they slipped it to me?

I shook, and Alice panicked.

"Carlisle, she's shaking," she said worriedly.

"I know," he said quietly. "She's been shaking for almost half an hour."

"Why?"

Carlisle was mysteriously silent.

"Bella?" asked Alice squeakily, trying her best to hold me still.

She didn't like my shaking.

"Alice," I said- my words barely understandable.

"Damn," said Emmett sadly.

Emmett.

Felix.

Were they the same?

Carefully, I looked over at Emmett.

He stared at me, his eyes vaguely familiar.

Brown eyes, just like Alice's.

Just like mine.

Felix had light eyes.

Light eyes and dark hair

Emmett had dark eyes and dark hair.

His face was different. Not the same.

Different, different, different.

Emmett, Emmett, Emmett.

Not Felix.

Emmett.

"_Love you, Boo," said a ten-year old Emmett gently, wrapping me up in a massive hug._

_I felt squished._

"_Emmy…" I complained, my voice muffled by his front._

_Emmy… that was his nickname._

"_Whoops," he said cheerfully, loosening his hold again. "Sorry."_

"_S'okay," I said tiredly, smiling up. "Love you too."_

"_Wanna watch SpongeBob?" he asked eagerly._

"'_Kay," I said quietly._

"_Yeah!" he shouted, glancing at Alice, who was pouting._

"_I hate SpongeBob!" she complained loudly._

"_Too bad!" said Emmett happily. "Boo likes it."_

"_Bella likes anything you like," she grumbled._

"_I know," he said smugly. "I love my Boo, and my Boo loves me. Deal with it."_

_He stuck out his tongue at her._

"_Mom!" cried Alice angrily, glaring at her brother._

"_Tattletale!" cried Emmett indignantly, staring at her._

"_Shh!" I cried, glancing at the television._

_A little yellow sponge was bobbing around his underwater town, and I was enthralled._

Emmett wasn't to be feared.

"Bella?" asked Alice, purely scared now instead of anxious or worried.

"Let her go, Alice," said Carlisle worriedly, reaching out.

"No!" I shouted tearfully, grabbing Alice in a painfully hard grip.

Carlisle backtracked, looking a little helpless.

"Ow, Bell…" she said, her voice tight.

I let her go quickly, not wanting to hurt her, and let myself fall down to the couch, still crying.

I felt so tired…

"Okay," said Alice gently, patting my back as the tremors returned.

"Is she okay?" asked Rosalie sadly, her unfamiliar gaze settled on me.

"I don't know," admitted Carlisle. "Physically, maybe."

"Carlisle!" cried Emmett, unhappy.

"Watch out, Alice," he warned, making Alice stand quickly as he reached down and felt my pulse again.

"Bella?" he asked hesitantly, glancing at me.

I stared.

"Will you take an Ativan for me?" he asked gently

Ativan… no, no, no.

"No…" I gasped, shaking my head. "No."

"Okay," he soothed. "I can't force you."

Oh yes he could.

"If you don't want to take the pill, you need to try and relax. You're heart is beating much too quickly, and I'm sure your blood pressure is skyrocketing," he said gently. "I want you to take a deep breath."

I forced myself to inhale, holding it in for a moment.

It didn't work as well as I'd have liked, and before long, I was bawling again.

He waited for a moment longer before his youngest son- the redheaded one- came closer. He watched carefully.

"What the hell did that woman _do?"_ he asked incredulously.

"Not now, Edward," said Carlisle sadly. Esme stood off to the side as Edward glanced at her, unhappy.

"Mom…" he said sadly.

"I'm fine, Edward," said Esme stoically, offering him a tense smile.

"I'm sorry…" I choked out, making her close her eyes.

"You've done nothing wrong. Don't be sorry," she whispered. "It wasn't your fault."

Yes it was.

It was, it was, it was.

"Breathe," Carlisle reminded me.

I obeyed, feeling the tension persisting.

"Bella, please take an Ativan," he said sadly, glancing at the little pill on the table.

When had that gotten here?

Maybe while I was remembering…

I hated remembering.

"No."

The word was firm and resolute- unmovable.

"Please honey?"

I cried, not knowing what to say.

He'd make me, if I said no.

"I promise it won't hurt you," he said sternly. "Nothing I give you will hurt you."

Yes it would.

But who was I to say no? He was a doctor, and he had the medication…

He offered it to me, letting it sit in the center of his palm. He held a chilled water bottle in his other hand, opened and ready.

I hesitated as he held it carefully, waiting for me to take it.

On my terms, not his.

I reached out, but the returning tremors were preventing me from taking it safely. Carlisle frowned and asked Esme to come and sit me up.

She did, and I felt myself weakening against her as Carlisle kneeled before me.

"Open," he instructed.

Feeling like a small child, I opened my mouth as he popped the little white tablet into my mouth.

At least it was only one… he offered me a drink of water next, which I took eagerly, swallowing carefully.

The pill went down.

Down, down, down.

And I waited.

As the pill began to work it's magic after a few moments, the tremors slowed. The tight bands in my chest and the overwhelming panic eased up, and the tears halted.

He seemed satisfied, taking my wrist again.

"Good," he praised, offering me a small smile.

I couldn't bring myself to fear him under the influence of this pill- one I'd been forced to take so often before.

"Oh Bella," said Alice sadly, seeing my newfound calm. She reached over and hugged me again, kissing my cheek. "Are you alright?"

I shrugged, leaning my sore, stuffy head on her shoulder.

I felt sore all over now… panic tended to do that. Even years of enduring the soreness didn't make it any more pleasant when it came about.

"Sorry," I said quietly, making her frown.

"Shush," she said sternly. "None of that."

I fell silent, glancing up at the rest of the company in the room.

Upon seeing my calm, Jasper had seated himself down, looking both disturbed and pitying from his place. Rosalie stood off to the side, her gaze downcast and determined not to stare.

Edward watched from his mother's side, while Emmett stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking very upset.

I'd caused another scene, and I felt my cheeks heating up again.

"Boo?"

I stared up at Emmett, the pill forcing down any anxiety… Ativan was very helpful.

"Emmett," I said hesitantly.

He nodded slowly, taking a step forward… closer to me. Alice watched me nervously, waiting for me to panic- something that didn't happen. She watched me anyways, making sure I was okay.

He came closer again, gently watching me for signs of returning panic… the last thing anyone would want was to set me off again.

Ativan kept any fears at bay, and my brother came right up to the couch.

"Is this okay?" he asked me softly, making me sniffle. I simply looked up at him as he knelt down, his face level with mine.

He looked nothing like Felix… no, he looked like the little SpongeBob boy.

_Emmy, _I'd called him.

My mouth opened.

"You're not Felix," I whispered, my eyes tearing up again at the memory. He frowned, confused, but not before Esme let out a small, sad noise, gaining her husband's attention.

"Not who?" he asked me softly.

"No, he most definitely is _not," _snarled Carlisle angrily, making both Emmett and myself whip around. Emmett looked shocked at the tone he used, whereas I was simply glad at the confirmation of his words.

He turned back to me, looking nervous.

"Is this okay?" he asked me again.

I nodded, and he cracked a small smile that lit up his whole face.

"Good," he decided.

I watched him for a moment longer before Alice let me go, looking both happy and proud at the same time.

_Not Felix…_

I leaned myself forward, tired as I was, and forced myself to hug him.

…

He was stunned for a long moment before he came to his senses and patted my back kindly.

He was just so _big…_

I was little.

Little, little, little.

When I showed no signs of letting him go, he embraced me properly, engulfing me in the distantly familiar arms… the ones from the memory.

I remembered being squished by him, and the familiar hug was welcome…how could I have forgotten him?

How could I have forgotten Alice?

I sighed, resting my head on the comfortable shoulder- the large one- feeling very sleepy. He noticed and somehow managed to maneuver himself onto the sofa next to me.

No one spoke as I closed my eyes, wondering why in the world I'd been so scared… how could I have compared him to Felix?

He was so clearly _not _Felix… he was Emmett.

Emmett, Emmett, Emmett.

"I missed you, Boo," he said fondly, glancing up at Alice proudly. Alice simply smiled and kissed my cheek before she stood and moved over to Jasper, plopping herself down on his lap.

…his lap?

I glanced over, making Emmett laugh loudly.

I stared up at him, glad that I managed not to flinch at his loudness.

"They're dating, Boo," he explained gently.

I turned my attention to the blonde boy that had claimed my sister.

He smiled kindly at me as I watched, making me blush.

"That's his biological sister," he added, pointing rudely at Rosalie.

She watched the two of us closely, smiling sadly when I met her gaze.

"She's mine," said Emmett happily, winking suggestively.

She flushed and rolled her eyes as I glanced up sheepishly.

She was pretty.

"And that's Edward," he said indifferently, pointing to the copper-haired boy with his arm around Esme's shoulders.

She looked much happier now that I'd hugged Emmett.

Edward, however, continued to look upset, offering me a fleeting grin before his face fell again, and he glanced at his mother.

Was he angry with me?

Emmett's hug tightened again, and I suddenly realized that there was very little chance of him letting me go just now.

I didn't mind.

"Are you tired?" he asked suddenly, glancing down at me.

I shrugged, unable to form coherent words. He just grinned.

"Come on," he said happily, shocking and startling me by standing up easily, me in hand. I clung to his neck, feeling very far from the floor as he laughed.

"Don't panic," he said easily. "I won't drop you."

I clung, and he just smirked.

"Goodnight, family," he said happily, making everyone say their quick goodnights before Emmett trumped up the steps to the second- not the third- floor.

"My room," he told me, nudging his bedroom door open with his foot.

Jake had followed the two of us as well, and I grinned.

"That thing likes you," he told me affectionately, glancing down at Jake.

I frowned.

"Thing?" I questioned sadly, making him laugh again.

"You sound like Alice," he said happily, letting the dog in before he closed the door with his foot.

Thank goodness he had feet… or else we'd still be waiting outside the door.

Emmett carried me to a bed in the room, placing me down gently before he threw himself down as well, lounging easily.

"Lay down, Boo," he said gently.

_Not Felix, not Felix, not Felix…_

I laid down carefully, making sure I wasn't invading his space.

He turned on his television, and I was instantly distracted.

"Alice told me about the TV," he said quickly, seeing my reaction. "I'll show you all the shows in existence, don't you worry," he vowed.

I wasn't worried… far from it.

I was shockingly calm, and very, very tired.

"Cold?" he asked, seeing as I shivered lightly. I didn't have a chance to respond before he drew back the covers on my side, letting me slide beneath them.

I felt startlingly safe between Emmett and the wall… even though I'd normally feel trapped and confined.

When Jake leapt up and pressed himself against the wall, I felt even more secure.

Secure… that was a strange and foreign word for me.

It was my new favorite word.

"Go to sleep," said Emmett gently, his tone contrasting heavily with his large, intimidating stature.

I'd never have guessed he could be so soft when he wanted to be.

"In here?" I asked doubtfully, making him nod.

"In here," he confirmed. "I just got you back, and I'm not about to let you go again… even if you'd only be going upstairs. I missed you, Boo."

"Oh," I said, wishing I could let him know that I'd missed him too… but I couldn't.

"I remember something," I offered, hoping I didn't sound too silly.

"What?" he asked eagerly, grinning over at me as he turned onto his side. Jake shifted next to me, pressing his warm back into my side. I patted him quickly before I turned to face him.

"Two things," I said. He nodded eagerly.

"Once we were going to a park?" I asked, making sure I had the facts right.

"There was a park near our house before all this shit," he admitted. "You liked the slide."

I had the right information, then.

"We were going to the park, and you ran ahead-"

He laughed.

"And I told you to hurry up and you fell?" he asked.

I nodded, smiling slightly.

"Alice told me off," he remembered. "You were only five!" he mocked, putting on a high, girlish voice to mimic Alice.

"Yeah."

"What else?" he asked, grinning.

"You hugged me and squished me before you asked if I wanted to watch SpongeBob," I said, earning me a grin.

"Is this the 'Alice is a tattletale' story or the 'I hate Barbies' story?" he asked gently.

"Alice is a tattletale," I admitted, earning a laugh.

"I still stick my tongue out at her," he said smugly, "but now all she does is try and smack me."

I smiled, wondering what else he remembered that I didn't. Before I could ask, I yawned and two fat tears escaped as I blinked quickly. He chuckled.

"Go to sleep," he said again, turning towards the television once more. I watched as he flicked through the channels, but before he could decide on what he wanted to watch, I felt my eyelids closing and with my brother and my favorite dog on either side of me, I snuggled deeper into the comfortable bed and fell asleep.

**A/N: So there you have it... an insanely long chapter. I'm assuming you all know that flashbacks are italicized (and they will be until the end). Emmett is being tolerated now (and maybe even liked), though the issues aren't all gone. Edward will make more of an appearance in chapter 8, once we get more of the foundation laid for Bella's new life and personality.**

**Please leave a review!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 7**

**A/N: So here's the next chapter (a much shorter chapter than last time, but a chapter none the less). I've recently redone the chapter outline for this one, and according to the outline, this story is on the way for 55 chapters (epilogue included). I don't know if any chapters will be combined, but so far, that's the tentative number for now.**

**Also, I want you to know that although there are a lot of chapters in store, there won't be any lack of action or drama. I have a lot in store for Bella (not all nice things, either), but hopefully, you'll stick with it.**

**Enjoy a little of Emmett's POV, and don't forget to leave a review at the end!**

EmPOV

I watched as her eyes drifted shut with her head resting on my bed, on my fluffiest pillow. The dog- usually the captain of all assholes- was sleeping soundly next to her, plastered against my wall as her arm rested on his furry chest.

She looked peaceful, and I couldn't help but revel in the feeling it gave me. She wasn't scared of me anymore, and it was a much bigger accomplishment than I'd expected from her tonight.

Especially given the situation she was in when we returned from the movie theater. She'd been so scared and upset, it had hurt just to watch her meltdown.

Poor Boo was having way too many meltdowns for my liking, and I was hell bent on changing that.

The television show I was watching ended quietly and without a word, I turned the TV off and slid out of my large bed. Jake watched me curiously, but for once, I ignored any temptation to react. Leaving Bella and the dog alone in my room, I left it quickly, making sure it wasn't too bright in there for her.

I knew she was in a medicated sleep, but I couldn't help but think that she'd wake up the moment I left… the last thing I wanted was for her to be afraid again-

No. I pushed that thought away and made my way carefully down the stairs, where the rest of the family was sitting in the living room. Esme looked deep in thought next to a very tired Carlisle, who had one hand running through his hair.

Just like Edward always did when he was stressed or frustrated.

Alice was watching our parents carefully, her brown eyes flickering to me only briefly before they returned to dad. _Everyone_ was watching dad, and I suddenly grew wary.

"What?" I asked, my loud voice breaking the tense silence. Carlisle looked up quickly, shaking his head sadly before he glanced at his wife.

"Esme?" he asked gently, his voice concerned and sympathetic.

Mom looked heartbroken, and I frowned.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, smiling hesitantly at her staring husband and children. Carlisle didn't press her and I sat myself down next to Rosalie, who was frowning.

"What's the matter with her?" she asked.

If anyone else had phrased it like that I'd have knocked them out cold in three seconds flat, but I knew Rosalie, and I knew she didn't intend it to sound blunt or condescending.

"I don't know," admitted Carlisle sadly.

"There's something wrong with her?" asked Alice worriedly.

No one answered her.

"She asked for you," said Carlisle sadly, glancing at my sister.

Poor Alice stared at him for a long moment, frowning tearfully.

"For me?" she asked, confused.

"Yes," said Esme gently, nodding. "She asked for you specifically."

"She doesn't even like me," said Alice dubiously.

"Don't ever think that," ordered Carlisle sternly, his voice suddenly showing none of his current fatigue. Alice, startled by his tone, simply watched, confused.

"She doesn't," she insisted.

"She does."

"No," said Alice stubbornly. "She won't even talk to me properly, and she's scared of me."

"She loves you, in her own way," said Esme. Alice sighed heavily, looking upset.

"Who's Felix?" she asked.

I wanted to know too, so I listened carefully.

No one spoke.

"Who's Felix?" she repeated.

"He's the orderly Doctor Dupont assigned to her," said Carlisle hesitantly

"What do _I_ have to do with _him?" _I demanded, indignant.

"I don't know," said Carlisle, his honesty shining through.

One of Carlisle's major faults the fact that he could never tell a convincing lie, and with all this new and alarming Bella business, I was glad I could catch his dishonesty.

"Why's she so timid?" asked Jasper quietly, speaking up for the first time tonight. Jasper was never the most talkative guy out there and he was even more silent on the Bella topic, especially since it was so sensitive with Alice.

"They hurt her," said Carlisle simply, making the angry beast in my chest rear up angrily.

"Hurt her how?" asked Edward.

I stared at him, wondering what his angle was. He looked far too interested for my liking…

"We learned a lot today," said Carlisle ominously. "It upset her, but she managed to give that social worker a lot of information that they can use against James Dupont in court."

"How did he hurt her?" Edward asked again.

"I don't know all the details," said Carlisle, "but I suppose if you're living with her you have a right to know the basics."

Damn right I had the right to know. I was her big brother, and if not to protect her, what was I here for?

"The bruises on her arms are from injections and IV lines," said Carlisle sadly.

"Is she sick?" demanded Alice.

"I'm not sure," said Carlisle. "They might have made her sick."

I _felt _sick.

"Doctor Dupont was testing new, unapproved psych medications on his patients, and according to her file, she was the only pediatric patient he had in the facility. He gave her the same drugs he gave his adult patients and watched her for a variation in side effects."

"He _what?" _asked Alice, appalled.

"He tested drugs that aren't FDA approved."

"What the hell did he think she was? A guinea pig?" demanded Alice angrily, her eyes filling with tears once more.

"I suppose so," said Carlisle. "She was mistreated, that much is sure."

"What did Felix do to make her so scared of him?" asked Rosalie hesitantly, watching our father carefully.

Carlisle hesitated, looking at Rosalie sadly.

Oh _fuck _no.

Although Rosalie had come into the family at the age of nine, she had been quite the little spitfire for a very long time. She was the "wild-child" of the family, and although she was never _too _bad, she did enjoy experimenting with her newly found freedom as a teenager. When she was fourteen, she had insisted on attending a party the seniors at school were throwing, and although none of us had really gotten any details from her, she had come home crying in the oldest Newton kid's car.

That scared kid had had to explain to Carlisle what his friend had done to her and after she'd had a strange boy force himself on her, she mellowed out and became much more docile. Even now, her temper and ferocity couldn't hold a candle to her younger days.

She was scared to attract attention to herself.

Carlisle saw my face and immediately sighed, knowing that I knew. I knew what that sick fuck had done, and I wanted him dead.

Dead and cold in the ground.

"Oh my _god," _said Alice quietly, shaking her head as she closed her eyes.

Nothing would ever dislodge that from her head now that it had found its way in there.

"Felix is also in an Arizona detention facility awaiting trial," said Carlisle quickly, seeing my anger.

Rosalie placed her hand on my arm, gently and silently warning me against causing a scene, and only because I was scared to upset my mother, girlfriend or sister, did I remain in my seat.

Needless to say, I was furious.

Esme sniffled and I immediately glanced over, appalled to see her crying as well, joining Alice's softly falling tears.

Rosalie remained the only female in the room who had yet to start crying, and I prayed to God that she'd hold herself together. Alice, mom, Bella… not Rosalie too.

Fuck.

She didn't _cry, _per se, but her eyes did brighten significantly as she leaned her head on my shoulder, her mind being drawn back into her past.

Jasper looked upset as well, seeing his sister, girlfriend and mother in such a predicament.

His eyes were trained on Rose in particular, who was frowning deeply.

"That's wrong," she said shakily, glancing at Carlisle.

"I know," he admitted. "He'll be charged with sexual assault."

"What about the burns on her arms?" asked Alice quickly, spewing out the question as fast as she possibly could. Carlisle watched her closely, sad.

"He called it his 'stun-gun'," he quoted, making me stare. "I assume it was a Taser."

"He electrocuted her?" I boomed angrily, forcing Rosalie's hand off of me as I stood up.

"Sit," ordered Carlisle, pointing me easily to the couch.

I sat down stiffly, not wanting to be sent away because I couldn't behave. I might have been nearly twenty, but I was still living in this house and there was no way I'd disrespect Carlisle or Esme in their own home. Or anywhere else, for that matter…

"She has a scar on her chest," said Jasper quietly, pointing to the appropriate spot on himself.

"From multiple central lines," said Carlisle easily.

"Did she wash that glass this morning?" asked Jasper suddenly, making me frown.

Wash a glass?

"Yes," said Esme quickly, shaking her head sadly. "I think she thought she'd be in trouble if she didn't."

I had no idea what this was all about, but I decided to let it go. Jasper seemed to share my opinion and he fell silent as well, glancing at Alice sadly.

"She'll open up eventually," he soothed.

Carlisle sighed heavily, once again running his hand through his hair.

"Where's Jake?" asked Alice suddenly, glancing at me.

"Upstairs," I said.

"Where?"

"In my bed," I admitted quietly, watching her crack a small smile.

It was an accomplishment… a small one, but an accomplishment nonetheless.

"You let the dog in your bed?" asked Rosalie incredulously, making me shrug.

"Bella's there too, and she seems to like him," I defended softly.

Esme was watching me proudly.

"She's sleeping?" asked Alice sadly, making me nod.

"She was when I left," I said, shrugging.

Without a word, Alice was on her feet and up the stairs, no doubt to investigate the situation in my bedroom.

"She's upset," said Jasper quietly, watching the stairs carefully.

I knew that, and so did everyone else. Alice wasn't a particularly sad person, but she was sensitive, and even the slightest misfortunes could upset her.

The room was still and silent- no one knowing exactly what to say.

I'd always hoped I'd get to see my baby sister again, but these were hardly the circumstances I'd anticipated. I'd always held on to a strange hope of her living happily in another household much like the one I'd been taken in to. I'd imagined her glowing and content with her new family, and despite the fact that she was no longer with me, I'd been comforted by the idea of her safety.

It hurt to know that Bella had been mistreated, abused, tortured and mutilated at the hands of a sick sadist.

She'd been _raped,_ for fuck's sake.

Esme sighed heavily, breaking my train of thought as Carlisle shifted next to her.

"At least she's comfortable with you," he said quietly, determined to find the good in this fucked up situation.

"For now," I said ominously, glancing over at my father.

I hated to think it, but I knew very well that her trust could be solely an effect of the anti-anxiety medication Carlisle had coaxed her into taking. There was no way to tell for sure whether or not she'd truly had an epiphany, or if she was just loopy from drugs.

"Is she okay?" asked Rosalie quietly, glancing up at Carlisle. He frowned sadly, hesitating before he spoke.

"She will be."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the short glimpse into Emmett's mind!**

**Please leave a review.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 8**

**A/N: Here we are with the next chapter. I hope you like it!**

BPOV

Time was a funny thing.

Ever since I could remember, the clocks had always seemed to tick by sluggishly. The minute hands- though I couldn't read them- inched by, each minute feeling like a hour, each hour like a day. The institute had been regimented- when the short hand pointed to the seven and the big had at the twelve, it was time to wake up. When small hand was on the eight, I was given porridge or apple slices. When both hands pointed to the big twelve, sometimes, I got more food.

My life revolved around the feeding schedule and the counselling sessions. Every day was a slow one, and every session left me wishing it was nighttime.

Nighttime was when it got dark, and no one- not Felix, not the Doctor and especially not Vicky- bothered me. It was quiet, and before Felix had gotten to me, I'd thought of my nights of "punishment" in my holding room as a treat.

Gino and Betty couldn't shout at me when I was all alone… they could only shout at each other.

At the real hospital, time was different again. No one had an electric stun gun, no one hit and no one tried to grab me.

I was l fed three times a day, and the counselling sessions restarted, which kept time in perspective, but the clock on my wall was just as maddening as the one in the Institute had been.

Now, at the Cullen's house, time was even more elusive. I often found it slipping away much too fast or creeping by much too slowly… I despised the inconsistency.

A lot had happened since I'd come here- I'd been a very bad, disobedient girl, but no one had said one unhappy word about it to me. Even though I'd shouted and cried, Emmett still smiled at me, Alice still liked to talk with me, Esme was kinder than ever and even Doctor Cullen was gentle.

He'd never even tried to hit me yet, and it had been over a week.

According to Esme.

Rosalie began to make her appearances too, after I'd fallen asleep in Emmett's room; she smiled sadly at me and I often caught her watching me. That boy, Jasper, was the same as his sister- he'd smile and greet me kindly, never looking meanly or cruelly at me.

But he still spooked me.

Only one person in the whole house had kept to themselves so far- the strange Edward that shared my floor. Edward had often been in my presence, but even so, I found it incredibly difficult to get a read on him. I was on guard, naturally wary of him, but he always kept quiet.

Quiet, quiet, quiet.

He smiled though, which was a plus. At least he wasn't _angry _with me… but Jake disliked him, which made me a little leery.

Now, I was sitting all alone in my bedroom, my chilly feet buried in Jake's abundant, warm fur as I flicked through the channels on my television.

Alice had finally shown me how the remote control worked, and I took great pleasure in flicking the channels from one number to the next.

I could even count up to channel forty, which was a new development. I was learning.

Carlisle, as usual, was gone to his work at the hospital- something I tried not to focus on since he worked quite a bit, as I'd learned recently. Emmett was asleep in his bedroom as he always was on his holidays, and Alice and Jasper had gone out to Port Angeles for some shopping.

Alice still wanted to drag me with her, but Esme had made it very clear that I wasn't to be dragged around a mall before she thought I was ready.

Rosalie was also around the house someplace, but I wasn't sure where (she tended to wander) and Esme had stepped out for groceries.

I'd been invited along with her, but the idea of a building full of strange people made me nervous.

And I had no idea what Edward was up to… I didn't want to bother him, or anyone else, so here I was, alone in my bedroom with my favourite friend.

I loved Jake.

After I hit channel 44 for the third time, I finally turned the power off of my television and set the controller down carefully, making sure I didn't damage it.

Lord only knew what Esme would make of me if I broke something like that… I hate to think what it would cost to replace…

Jake kissed my foot, sensing my mild anxiety.

Jake always knew when I was feeling off, and I was glad I had someone who knew.

"Do you need out?" I asked gently, scratching his ears as they perked up eagerly. It was still early, and I knew that he had to do his business sometime soon.

"Come on," I said confidently, stepping out of my bed. He followed eagerly, his true colours shining through as he shoved past me and bolted down the stairs noisily.

I was glad no one was on the stairs to get knocked down.

"This way," I said gently as I approached the back door, where his thick leash was waiting just outside the glass.

"Wait," I said sternly, pointing my finger at him as he sat down obediently, his tail thumping rhythmically on the floor. He watched my every move, and I was very careful as I opened the door and reached outside.

It all happened so fast after that.

I reached out to grab the end of the leash when Jake, still not too good with commands, jumped up excitedly and leapt forward, effectively shoving me out of his way. I landed with a thud on my backside as the massive canine squeezed through the small opening I'd made to let my arm through and bounded right out into the backyard, barking like a madman.

"No!" I shouted, once again losing all sense of anxiety at my own loudness. I was more worried about what Esme would think once she found out I'd let Jake loose in her garden.

Esme loved her garden, and I didn't want to make her angry with me.

"Jake!" I shouted, bolting out into the yard after him. Jake was a good listener with me, but the prospect of outdoor freedom took over all rationality and he darted about, barking loudly.

"Hey!" I cried, running through the damp grass without any shoes on. I was sure I looked quite strange- clad in nothing but some pink pyjama bottoms and an old shirt of Emmett's, chasing the family pet through the yard.

Jake glanced at me, his ears perked up happily before he barked once more, and took off into the trees.

"No!"

He disappeared into the thick bushes, and I immediately felt my eyes water.

He would get lost, and I'd never get him back.

Alice would be so upset.

"Jake!"

"Bella?"

I gasped, shocked as I turned around. The figure in the doorway watched me closely as he stepped out, his feet covered by a pair of sneakers.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, glancing around the yard.

"He got loose," I said sadly, praying he wouldn't hit me.

"The dog?" guessed Edward, grimacing.

"He needs to come back!" I cried sadly. Edward's hair glinted in the strange, overcast light as he took in my appearance once more, fighting back a smile.

"He will," he assured me. "He's gotten out before."

"Jake!" I shouted again, angry and sad that he'd run away.

Didn't he know I needed him here?

"Come inside and put some shoes on, and we'll go look down the trail," said Edward gently, stepping a bit closer to me.

I didn't even tense, and he grinned proudly.

"Nice to finally talk to you," he said, reaching down and offering me his hand.

I wasn't sure what to do with it, exactly, but he simply smiled gently.

"Take it, and I'll help you up," he said easily.

_Help _me up? No… hands helped push me down, not help me up.

I took it anyways, and was pleasantly surprised when he tugged me gently to my feet, glancing carefully at the wet grass.

"Come on. You'll get sick," he said gently leading me back into the house.

I watched his strange bronze hair under the house lights as well, noticing how different it looked in here. Outside, it could pass for a bright shade of brown, but inside, there were unmistakable red flecks scattered all around.

I wanted nothing more than to stare at it, but I didn't want to upset him, so instead of watching the coppery smattering of thick hair, I busied myself with my shoes.

"He won't have gone far," said Edward quietly, watching as I tied each pair of laces slowly, making sure they were done tight. I hoped he was right, if not for my sake, then for Alice's.

"Okay," I said, standing up quickly as I watched his lead. I had no idea where I was going, and I didn't want to get lost in the woods and make Esme and Carlisle look for me.

"Let's go," he said, shooting me a brief, crooked grin as he grabbed the thick, red leash from the hook on the wall.

I liked his grin.

Edward led the way outside, right out into the damp grass. I could see where the water had collected- where Jake had run through- right into the thick, green bushes near the forest. The trees behind the bushes were tall and intimidating, but I knew that I had to find that dog.

"Jake!" I called, my voice echoing through the trees. Edward led the way through the bushes, holding them aside for me so I wouldn't hurt myself, and the two of us walked into the dense trees.

"Jake!" cried Edward, his voice much deeper and louder than mine. I forced myself not to inch away at the force of it, but continued looking for the runaway pet.

"He's here somewhere," said Edward confidently, seeing my panic. I had nothing to say in return and I wisely kept quiet, following blindly behind him.

"Um, Edward?" I asked tentatively, testing his name for the first time.

"Hm?" he asked, turning around quickly. I gasped sharply as I walked right into his front, nearly falling backwards.

He caught me easily, but not before I had the chance to panic. I knew he was trying to help, but I still took a sharp breath and jerked away, letting myself fall to the muddy ground.

"Shit," he said quickly, seeing me fall. I closed my eyes, getting a hold of myself as best I could, trying not to upset him at the same time.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly, kneeling down in front of me.

"Fine," I said breathily, trying as hard as I could not to panic. I remembered what Danielle told me all those weeks ago in the hospital.

_Count your breaths, Isabella, and keep them slow._

"Bella?" asked Edward, his voice full of worry and concern.

"I'm fine," I repeated, making sure I was steady before I stood myself up, dusting off.

Dusting mud wasn't the most productive thing, and it only made the dark mess on the pant leg that much worse.

Esme would kill me for ruining my clothing…

"Don't worry about that," said Edward easily, glancing down at my pants as well. I blushed bright red as he smiled crookedly once more, eying me cautiously as he began to walk once more.

"What did you want to ask me before?" he asked as we walked, making sure not to turn and startle me again.

"Where are we?"

"The Olympic rainforest," he said easily, looking around us at the thick, slimy trees. I nodded stupidly, having no idea where that was in relation to the house, but I forced myself to trust him.

Edward wouldn't get us lost, would he?

"There," he said quickly, pointing to our left.

"Jake," I said, relieved as I spotted the large dog sniffing his way around the base of a tree. "Come here," I said quietly, moving forward. He saw the two of us then, perking up happily before he loped gracefully out of the trees, stopping in front of us.

"Let's go," I said, gripping the red collar easily. Jake, looking perfectly at ease here in the forest, grunted as I tugged him forward, putting up a bit of a fuss.

"Jake, come," ordered Edward, pointing to the spot next to his feet. Jake, not at all in the mood for Edward, grunted loudly and tugged himself out of my grip, tearing through the trees once more.

"No!" I shouted, frustrated as he disappeared again.

"Damn it," snarled Edward, moving past me into the thicket. I frowned, following behind him as the dog tore through the undergrowth. It was confusing, trying to follow Jake's expert winding paths throughout the forest, and before long, I had no idea which direction we were running in.

"Bella?" called Edward from somewhere to my left.

"Edward?" I said back, much quieter. My voice was lost in the thick branches and leaves surrounding us.

"Bella!" called Edward, much louder.

"Here!" I cried, unused to hearing my own voice shouting.

I wasn't allowed to shout.

"Hold on!" called Edward, right before I heard him marching through the brush from my left, appearing next to me easily.

"I thought I'd lost you," he admitted, breathing a sigh of relief as he walked even closer to me.

I forced myself to stand still.

"Where's the dog?" I asked sadly, glancing around us at the confusing, nearly identical trees.

"More like where are _we?" _he said dryly, looking mildly apprehensive.

"We're lost?" I blurted, staring at him in alarm. He simply shrugged, glancing around.

"Let's find the dog," he suggested.

Jake first, home second.

"Jake!" I shouted loudly, hearing my own voice quavering. Edward frowned sadly as he stuck close, looking saddened by my fear.

I didn't want to be lost in the forest.

"Jacob!" he hollered, his voice travelling much farther than my own voice could. We both jumped when a loud snapping sound came from my right, very close to us.

"There," said Edward, pointing towards the source of the sound. I saw Jake glancing out at us, his eyes bright and tail wagging.

"Come here!" I shouted, angry with Jake for being so elusive. His ears fell back sadly as he turned once more, disappearing.

"Goddamn it!" shouted Edward exasperatedly, taking my hand in his own before he took off running. The feel of his hand was foreign, but not unwelcome in this cold, dark forest.

Edward was much safer than whatever might be lurking in the trees around here.

"Don't let go, okay?" he asked nervously, glancing at our hands. "I don't want to lose you in here."

"Okay."

He walked quickly, leaving me to trot behind him as he held my hand diligently, his soft, strong grip making me feel much safer.

"Did you see where he went?" he asked, glancing down at me.

The trees were casting a strange, ethereal glow on his contrasting hair, and it momentarily distracted me.

"No," I admitted quickly, once I got my thoughts together. "That way, I think," I added, determined to be useful.

Edward took off in the direction I'd indicated without so much as a glance.

"Jake!" he called, listening closely for any signs of Jake, or any other animal that lived in the trees.

Were there bears in the Olympic rainforest?

"Come on, Bella," he encouraged, seeing my sudden reluctance.

"Are there bears in here?" I asked bravely, glancing up warily.

"Sometimes," he admitted. "Though we'll probably hear it moving around in here."

"We should go back," I whispered, making him frown.

"Which way?" he asked me worriedly, looking all around us.

"We're lost," I said dejectedly, making him sigh.

"We'll find our way out," he assured me, squeezing my hand lightly.

I gripped his back, not ever wanting to letting it go.

"Let's find the dog, and he'll help us get back," bargained Edward, knowing that Jake could smell out home far sooner than we'd be able to wander back to it.

"Okay," I agreed easily, a new sort of fear instilling itself in me.

The Institute had been a bad, nasty place, but this forest was more subtly hostile.

It could kill us indirectly, and that idea frightened me.

"Jake!" I shouted, my voice much more shrill and loud than it had been before. Edward cringed at its loudness, but he didn't comment as he shouted out as well.

"This way," said Edward quietly, glancing to our left. He tugged me forward in more winding trails before he stopped suddenly, glancing up.

"Look," he said, pointing at two identical trees, standing side by side. "They're maples," he informed me.

I nodded, having no idea why that was so important. He led me forward again, towards these strange maple trees before we walked straight through the center of them, both of us stopping dead in our tracks.

The maple trees had been hiding the entrance to a beautiful field- a meadow of sorts- filled with multicoloured wildflowers.

"Wow," said Edward, impressed as he took in the sunny patches, shining on the long grass. "We've broken through the cloud bank here," he whispered, reaching down to pluck a flower out of the ground.

"It's pretty," I said quietly, taking the flower as he offered it to me. It was a beautiful violet colour- one that contrasted with my pale hand.

"It's beautiful," he admitted, shocking me.

"And Jake's here!" I cried suddenly, spotting our large, mangy beast lounging in the rich sunlight. Edward simply chuckled, moving forward with the forgotten leash in his pocket. He caught Jake easily, clipping the leash onto the collar as he drew him up, giving him a proper scolding for running off.

"Now where?" he asked suddenly, glancing at the passive dog.

"Go home, Jake," I suggested, making him perk up. In his usual way, he yanked on the leash, dragging us towards the woods once more.

Edward took my hand again, for fear that he'd lose me.

"Good dog," he praised as Jake moved expertly through the bush, sniffing the ground seriously. He often stopped to relieve himself on all the different trees he crossed, much to Edward's distaste, and it added a lot of time onto our journey.

"He knows where he's going," said Edward confidently, clutching the leash in one hand, my hand in his other. His arms were strong enough to keep Jake in line, and I noticed how easily he held the leash steady.

"We're almost there," he said quietly, letting my hand go in favour of wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I leaned in, not too sure whether or not to be afraid, but deciding that it didn't matter anyways.

There was no _reason _to be afraid of Edward Cullen.

"The trees are thinning, see?" he asked, gesturing around us. He wasn't lying to me; I could _see _the spaces between the trees growing bigger and bigger as we moved on, Jake's head held high as he led the way. "I'm just not sure where we'll come out."

"Come out?" I asked confusedly, making him smile again.

"We might not come out near the house," he explained. "We might have to walk a little ways before we get there, but I can't be sure."

"Oh."

And with that in my head, we saw the final break in the trees as the forest ended, and civilization began.

**A/N: So there you have it... we've officially met Edward and the meadow. I wanted to incorporate a little of Jacob's personality into the story as well (the human Jake from the books, not my dog-version) so we'll have Edward displaying a little more friendly behaviour than the vampire-Edward did in the book (sort of like the friend Jake mingled with that unique Edward-ness we've all come to love). My Edward is definitely more human-like than the Edward in Stephenie Meyer's books (because he _is _human in this one!)**

**Don't forget to leave me a review!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 9**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter of Dark Waltz. I hope you enjoy it!**

EsPOV

Grocery shopping was something I'd always loved to do, even as a small child. I remembered the old shops my mother would take me to, sitting me down in the front half of the cart while she moved through the aisles, hunting for the best bargains in the whole place.

Mother always had something interesting to bring home to our kitchen, no matter what day of the week it was.

"Hello, Mrs. Cullen," said a voice beside me, making me turn.

"Good morning, John," I said graciously, seeing Karen Newton's husband looking through the apples and oranges, grabbing them at random.

"My wife sent me here for apples," he said, frustrated. "She's making a pie."

"It'll be delicious," I said smilingly, knowing very well that he had no experience here in the produce section- or any other section of the grocery store, for that matter.

"Now, could _you_ tell me where I'd find the…" he began, checking his list, "granulated sugar?"

"That's just normal sugar, John," I explained patiently, determined not to laugh at this man's misfortune.

"Right," he said, his cheeks reddening. "What about lard?"

"Third aisle," I said easily, feeling like an employee rather than a shopper.

"Thank you, Esme," he said gently, grabbing the last of his apples as he looked away.

"You're welcome," I said quietly, grabbing my own Granny Smiths from the large assortment before us.

"How's that girl of yours?" he asked suddenly, turning to me interestedly.

"Which one?" I asked, playing dumb.

"The new one."

"Bella?" I asked, slightly irritated with his nosiness.

"Yeah, her."

"She's doing well," I admitted, smiling to myself.

"She's adjusting?" he asked caringly, making me falter.

The Newtons were known for their blatant selfishness, not caring and kind concern.

"As well as can be expected," I said softly, examining my apple closely for signs of contamination.

"That's good," he said, nodding softly. "Karen's been asking after her."

Of course she'd been. Karen Newton was the biggest gossip in the history of Forks.

"She's doing incredibly well, considering what she's been through," I said with finality.

"What she's been through?" asked John Newton, making me frown.

"She's had a rough life," I said cautiously, not giving away any details of Bella Swan's personal life.

"I hope she won't be trouble," he said seriously, making my anger bubble.

"She's a sweet girl, John, just a little shy," I snapped.

"I didn't mean it like that," he backtracked. "I don't mean to be offensive." I nodded carefully, letting myself calm down before I lost my temper.

I tended to be fiercely protective of my children, and with Bella being so vulnerable, I was even more so with her.

"Well, you have a nice day, Mrs. Cullen," said Mr. Newton, offering me a small nod as he disappeared quickly towards the baking goods section to find the rest of his supplies.

I reigned my emotions in, knowing very well that John Newton's reaction to Bella would likely be a recurring thing, especially now that the Newtons had knowledge of her "rough life".

I was sure that every man, woman and child would know the minutest details of mine and John Newton's conversation in the produce section of Thriftway.

I was only distracted from my apple picking when my cell phone rang loudly, vibrating in my pocket. I picked it up quickly.

"Mom?"

The voice echoed through the cell phone I held to my ear as I wandered towards the oranges a few feet away. The other few shoppers glanced my way, obviously desperate for something more entertaining than apples and oranges, and I was sad to say I provided it for them.

I always worried when my children called my phone, especially now that Bella had joined us.

"What is it, Rosalie?" I asked distractedly, placing the bag of Granny Smiths in my cart. I heard my oldest daughter sigh sadly, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"Where is everyone?" she asked exasperatedly.

Everyone?

"Your father's working," I offered, glancing down at my list once more. "I'm at the grocery store and Alice and Jasper are out in Port Angeles."

"There's no one else here," she insisted. "Bella and Edward aren't."

"Pardon?" I asked, confused.

Where would timid, shy little Bella wander off to on a Saturday morning?

"They're gone," she repeated, her voice growing worried. "I heard her get up this morning and let the dog out, but she's not here."

"I'll be home soon, and we'll figure it out," I assured her, making her sigh as I hung up.

My grocery trip was cut short as I grabbed the rest of my essentials and left the more specific items on the shelves, paying quickly. As I waited in line for the familiar teenager to ring up all the items and present me with my total, I dialled Edward's cell phone.

Voice mail. Edward knew better than to leave without telling anyone, without taking his phone.

"Fifty-two thirty," said the girl, smacking her fruity bubblegum loudly as I handed over the exact amount.

"Thanks for shopping with us," she said in a bored tone, offering me the last of my plastic shopping bags as I left the store. My familiar blue car waited innocently in the parking lot.

Packing the groceries into the trunk was a more difficult task than usual, due to my frazzled nerves, but at last, I managed to get them all away. The cart went into the holding area and I was out of the parking lot in less than two minutes- a record for me and my safe driving.

I heard bags rattling around the trunk, but instead of stopping to readjust them, I drove onwards towards my secluded home. Rosalie was standing out on the porch when I pulled in, her hair thrown back in a haphazard bun as she adjusted her top.

"Esme," she said worriedly, loping down the steps easily.

"Where are they?" I asked nervously, glancing at the house.

"I have no idea," she admitted, frowning. "It's worrying me."

Rosalie was rarely worried.

"Where's Emmett?"

"He's asleep," she admitted. "I thought he went with Alice and Jasper."

"Maybe Bella and Edward went with Alice," I said angrily, knowing full well I'd forbidden my daughter from dragging her sensitive, delicate sister on her out-of-town shopping spree.

"No," said Rosalie easily, shaking her head. "Alice and Jasper left too early. I heard both of them letting the dog out this morning," she insisted.

"Where's the dog then?" I asked quietly.

She fell silent, contemplating.

"Not here," she said, coming to a realization.

"Did he get loose?" I offered quietly, examining my garden for signs of destruction.

"I don't know," said Rose, frustrated.

"Wake Emmett and ask if he's seen them," I said softly. She complied without a word, moving with uncharacteristic carelessness towards the stairs.

I carried my four bags into the kitchen, grabbing the phone along the way. Dialling the familiar number, I waited as it rang, once, then twice, before someone picked up.

"Hello?" asked Alice cheerfully, obviously oblivious to her brother and sister's disappearance.

"Alice, are Bella and Edward with you?" I asked quickly, determined not to waste any time.

"No," she said, startled. "Why, where are they?"

"We're looking," I assured her, not wanting her to panic.

"She's gone!" she shrieked, just as I heard my son's gentle, quiet tones urging her not to yell.

"They're not at the house," I said quietly. "We'll find them."

"We're coming home," she insisted.

"No, it's alright-"

"Mom," said Alice sternly. "Bella's gone, I'm coming home."

"If you're sure," I said, giving in. Alice fell silent before she said a quick goodbye, no doubt ready to fill Jasper in on the situation. I heard her phone click shut before I returned the house phone to its proper location in the living room. While moving back to my kitchen, I was met by Emmett- fresh out of bed with wild hair and worried eyes.

"What's going on?" he growled, his voice gravely and low with sleep.

"Nothing yet," I admitted, downplaying my worry.

"Rose said Bella's gone," he said nervously, running his hand over his head to tame the wild, chocolaty curls.

"Well, she's not here," I admitted slowly, not wanting to send him into a panic.

"Then where is she?" he demanded impatiently.

"I don't know."

"Where's Eddie?"

"Gone," I said sadly, putting up the three boxes of cereal I'd purchased.

"I'll be back," he said sternly, returning to the stairs to get himself dressed and to mull things over.

I put all my groceries away in a troubled state of mind as I watched the minutes inch by, one at a time, until ten had passed.

"Where's the dog?" asked Emmett, startling me as he returned to the kitchen, groomed and ready for his day. I got over my shock quickly.

"We don't know. All three are gone."

"Did they bring him for a walk?" he asked quietly, frowning.

"Maybe," I admitted, "but I didn't see them on my way home."

Edward knew the streets of Forks like the back of his hand, and I knew he'd never stray onto the boring side streets if he _had _decided to show Bella where to walk the dog.

And he knew better than to take her out without letting me know first. He knew I worried about her.

"The leash is gone," he said quickly.

"I don't know where they went," I said desperately, my fear shining through. Emmett frowned at my tone of voice, giving me a brief hug before he glanced out the kitchen window.

"The grass is screwed up," he noted, looking at the lawn.

I didn't reply, focusing solely on my two missing children.

"Edward didn't answer his phone," I admitted quietly, glancing outside as well.

"It's up in his room," said Rosalie, coming in quietly. "He didn't take it with him."

I was even more worried. Edward never left home without a way to contact us, and I wondered what had changed today.

He could of at least left us a note, especially if he'd taken Bella with him.

"Alice and Jasper are coming back," I said nervously, watching my eldest's reaction.

"I figured," he said, shocking me by remaining calm and collected. I knew better than anyone how worked up he got when there was a problem with his sisters.

The three of us fell into an uncomfortable silence as I put the last of the groceries away, and Emmett and Rosalie sat down at the island counter, both watching my every move. My mind was reeling with possibilities- the very thing I hated most. I hated having to anticipate the worst.

"Can one of you pass me the phone, please?" I asked shakily, watching as my daughter stood quickly, moving to the living room.

"Calling dad?" guessed Emmett, making me nod. Rosalie returned quickly, the cordless in hand.

"Thank you," I said, taking the phone from her outstretched hand. The pair of them watched as I dialled the familiar hospital number, punching in Carlisle's extension easily.

"Forks Memorial Hospital, surgical unit. Deborah speaking," said the unfamiliar woman, obviously a nurse on Carlisle's floor.

"Hi, could I speak to Doctor Cullen please?" I asked quietly.

"Of course," she said. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Esme."

"One moment, please." I waited patiently as I was put on hold, giving the nurse time to locate my husband.

"Hello?" came the familiar, comforting voice over the speaker.

"Carlisle," I said nervously.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately, his voice going from curious to concerned in two seconds flat.

"We've got a problem," I admitted, making him sigh.

"What is it?"

"Have you seen Edward and Bella at all?" I asked, hoping that by some long shot, he had.

"No."

"We can't find either of them, or the dog," I sighed.

"I'm sure they're around," he said reasonably. "Maybe they're upstairs?"

"No," I said easily, knowing Rosalie would have been smart enough to check up there before calling me.

"Outside?"

"No."

"Did you try his phone?" asked Carlisle nervously.

"Yes, and he left it upstairs."

"Bella's not even dressed," said Rosalie suddenly. "The clothes Alice left her are still on her desk."

I shivered.

"I'll be there shortly," he said firmly, making me sigh in relief.

"Thank you."

"I'll see you soon, love," he said tenderly.

"Bye."

"Bye."

We both hung up, and I set the phone down on the countertop, sighing heavily.

"Your father's coming home," I informed them, making both frown.

When Carlisle left work, we knew things were serious.

The three of us sat together, none of us knowing quite what to do with the current situation. Two of my children were missing in action, and that thought alone terrified me, but knowing that one of them was so sensitive and timid made things exponentially worse. If I'd refused to let her go to Port Angeles with Alice, how could she bear being out on her own, potentially lost?

I heard the squealing of Alice's tires before the door slammed open, and although I disapproved entirely of her driving tactics, I let it slide for now. My frantic middle daughter flew into the kitchen, wild and upset as she took in the three of us seated calmly at the island.

Jasper followed soon after, a look of mild concern etched onto his face.

"What do you mean, 'she's gone'?" demanded Alice, out of breath.

"Eddie and Boo are MIA," said Emmett tactlessly, making Alice frown.

"Jake!" she called loudly, her voice resonating throughout the house.

"The dog's missing too," supplied Emmett carelessly.

Alice frowned.

"I'll check her room," she decided, not bothering to acknowledge that Rosalie had done just that not an hour ago.

Jasper sat next to Emmett, looking rather out of place.

"Have you seen her?" I asked, glancing at the calmest of my sons.

"Not today," he admitted. "Alice went in while she was asleep to get her clothes together."

"I know," I supplied. "She's not dressed yet, unless she dressed herself."

Before Jasper could reply, Alice came back in, looking winded.

"Her clothes are still out and she hasn't brushed her hair," she decreed.

"And she's not in the house," added Emmett sullenly.

"She'll be back," I said, not as confident as I sounded.

Isabella Swan had managed to fall off the radar once before, and I wasn't too sure she wouldn't disappear again.

The front door opened again, and we all perked up.

"Esme?"

"In the kitchen, Carlisle," I said. I heard his footsteps approaching before he peeked in, seeing us all convened at the table.

"We'll find them," he said quickly, seeing my fear. I didn't reply, but hugged him quickly and sat him down in a spot close to mine.

"The dog's gone too?" he asked, making everyone else nod.

"Edward knows better than to leave without his phone," he said quietly, "and he knows that she was supposed to stay here, at least until her anxiety was under control."

"I say we go looking," said Emmett loudly, standing from his stool. "Someone look around town, and someone check the woods."

My blood ran cold.

"The woods?" I squeaked. "Why on earth would they be in there?"

"No idea," said Emmett easily, "but they might be in there."

"No," I said firmly. "Edward knows…"

"Edward knew not to leave, too," said Alice angrily, "but he's gone."

"They're not in the woods, and in any case, no one's going tramping through the wilderness alone," I said angrily.

"We have to find her," said Alice worriedly, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"No, Alice."

"Mom, please," she begged. "We'll be safe, and we'll take our phones-"

"You're not going hiking off of the trails," I said adamantly. Carlisle nodded behind me, neither one of us wanting to risk losing a child to the great outdoors outside our home.

"Can we go on a trail?" she asked hopefully. "We'll stay on the paths…"

"We'll see," said Carlisle. "Check town first."

With that decree from their father, all four of my remaining children stood up, moving towards the doors. I watched as Rosalie and Emmett through on pairs of old sneakers, leaving Alice and Jasper to wait their turn.

"If you find them, make sure you tell them that-" I started, right before something caught my eye out in the yard.

"Oh, thank god!" I cried, seeing the two forms of my dishevelled, missing children and the family pet stumbling out of the trees in the yard. Carlisle caught sight of them as well, leaving me to brush past Emmett and Rosalie to move out to the tree line.

"Edward Anthony!" I cried angrily, feeling the tears pooling. Edward looked up sadly, one hand clamped around the dog's leash, his other resting on Bella's shoulder as he held her close.

I didn't even register the fact that Bella was letting Edward so close.

"What were you _thinking?" _I demanded, staring him down. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

He didn't have a chance to answer as Jake pulled loose, rushing over to greet Alice. I pulled both dirty, muddy children into a hug, one on either side as I discreetly looked them over.

"You're filthy," I said, glancing down at the torn, muddy knees on Bella's pink pyjama bottoms. "What were you _thinking, _running off into the woods off of the trails?"

Edward sighed, pinching his nose.

"Bella went to let the dog out this morning, and he got loose," he explained. I frowned at the dog's behaviour, but let him continue. "He ran into the trees, she panicked, and he usually doesn't go far…" he trailed off.

"I don't care how far he went!" I cried. "You take your phone, and you never, _ever _go off alone during bear season!"

Edward frowned.

"Sorry, mom," he said softly.

"You'd better be, young man," I growled, taking his face in my hands to look at the scratch on his cheek.

"From the branches?" I guessed angrily.

"Yeah."

"And you, sweetheart…" I trailed off, turning towards Bella.

She was crying, looking down at the ground.

"Are you hurt?" I asked fearfully, not wanting either one of them to be injured. Bella simply looked up at me fearfully as Carlisle approached, seeing her tears.

"Did you hurt your knees?" he asked, making her jump in surprise before she shook her head quickly, her knotted hair flying in all directions.

"I'm sorry," she said pitifully, making me frown.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm not angry with you," I said quickly. "I was just worried."

"Jake ran off, and I didn't want him to get lost!" she moaned sadly. "I would've gotten him myself, but then Edward came and helped-"

"And I'm glad he did," I supplied. "He knows the woods better than you do.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, sounding on the verge of another meltdown.

"Come here," I said quickly, pulling her into the tightest embrace I could manage without spooking or hurting her as Carlisle moved on to examine Edward.

"I'm fine, dad," he said quietly. "Nothing happened. We just got a little lost, but Jake knew where home was."

That made me even more fearful. Bella shook in my arms as she tried to contain herself.

"Alice came back," she said nervously.

"She loves you, and was worried."

"Are you okay, Boo?" asked Emmett suddenly, looking serious and concerned for his sister's welfare.

"I'm fine," she said shakily, glancing up at her bear of a brother.

"Good," he said simply, watching silently once more. Carlisle was giving Edward a quiet lecture as I led the tired, dishevelled girl into the house, letting the other children follow.

"Come on," I said, leading her towards the kitchen. She stood awkwardly at the island, watching me with wide, innocently fearful eyes as I poured two glasses of water.

"Here," I said, handing one to both Edward and Bella. They both thanked me quietly, glancing at each other. Alice made her way to Bella's side, hugging her gently as she kissed her cheek.

"I was so worried," she said shakily, making Bella frown guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Alice," she began. "I didn't mean for you to come all the way back here just because I-"

"Enough, Bella," said Alice, cutting her off easily as she smoothed down her hair.

Alice had never seemed so maternal before as she did right now.

"I'm just glad you're safe."

"Okay," said Bella awkwardly, glancing at Rosalie, who was seated on her other side, nervously.

"Hi," Rose offered, making Bella clear her throat.

"Good morning."

The tension eased slightly as a rumble of laughter went through the room, lightening the mood.

"Are you sure you're both okay?" asked Carlisle compassionately, eying Bella in particular.

"Yes," she said quickly, followed by a nod from Edward. Jake, the culprit behind this fiasco, entered the kitchen as well, looking both relaxed and indifferent. As always, he sat down at Bella's feet, watching each of his masters in turn.

Bella patted his head gently, letting him nuzzle her hand.

"You both need showers," I said decidedly, taking in Bella's filthy pants once again. She saw where I was looking and flushed a delightful shade of red, right to the roots of her hair.

Emmett chuckled reminiscently.

"I fell," she offered meekly, glancing up worriedly.

"You have plenty of other pyjama bottoms," I assured her, not daring to be angry over one ruined pair of cheap pants. "You can get dressed after you've washed."

"Okay," she said quietly, holding the empty glass in her hand. Rosalie reached over and took it gently, surprising her, and placed it on the top rack of the dishwasher. Bella eyed it distastefully, and I knew she was itching to take it out and wash it by hand.

"Never mind cleaning the dishes," I said kindly. "You focus on washing yourself, first."

She blushed again, nodding quickly.

"Come on," said Alice, taking the dirty hand in her own as she led her sixteen year old sister up the stairs, to her own ensuite bathroom.

Edward followed soon after, proceeding to his own bathroom for his shower.

"Well, that's settled," said Carlisle gently, looking much more relaxed and calm than he was when he'd first arrived.

"And you got a day off out of it," said Jasper playfully, knowing full well that in a town like Forks, a doctor rarely had decent time off.

"That I did," he admitted, glancing at the clock as it struck eleven.

And just as easily as it had fallen apart, my routine was reinstalled, and I started on lunch.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Is it just me, or is interest in this story declining? Lately, it seems as if very few reviews are making their way into my inbox... please review if you liked (or didn't like) the chapter, so I know what to continue and discontinue within the story.**

**I also think you have a right to know that I've just finished a 28-page, 11000 word chapter for this story (chapter 12)! So the faster you review, the faster I write, and the faster you get more to read!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 10**

**A/N: Great response! It's nice to know that interest isn't declining. A lot of you, though, feared that this would be discontinued... I can assure you that it WILL NOT BE DISCONTINUED! I'm too devoted to writing this for my own personal satisfaction to just stop... when I write, I'll post, and you can read.**

**I just really like when people give me constructive criticism... it always helps improve writing, and lets me know what you do and don't like. **

**Some people commented on the fact that the last chapter seemed irrelevant and unnecessary, but I can assure you, the plot wouldn't be able to move properly if it wasn't included. If you feel that a chapter isn't needed, by all means, let me know, but try to wait until a few chapters later, so you can see how the addition affects the rest of the story.**

BPOV

I'd never been more relieved in my entire life as I was when I walked out of those trees, right into the Cullens' back yard. Jake was safe, Edward was safe, I was safe, and all three of us were home.

It really hit me then that I had a _home. _

Only when I saw Esme's angry face did I backtrack, wondering whether or not the forest would have been safer. She looked so upset as she flew out the front door, Carlisle, Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Rosalie right behind her. She grabbed Edward and I into a big hug before she lectured Edward.

I felt terrible for ruining her morning, and I became suddenly self conscious about my dirty, ruined pyjama bottoms. I had no right to ruin what wasn't rightfully mine, and I could only _imagine _how mad she'd be now.

_I'm not mad, _she'd said… how strange it was to hear that for myself. To know that I could ruin a perfectly good pair of pants and have no repercussions for it! Esme really was much too kind.

And then there was Alice. I'd forced her to come home from her shopping trip because I'd gotten lost in the forest with her brother. But like always, she refused to get angry- she didn't yell, scream, or even hit me for inconveniencing her, but merely hushed my fears and led me up to my washroom to clean up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked again, leading me further up the staircase. I blushed marvellously once more, feeling the heat creep through my skin and pool in my cheeks as I nodded hesitantly, enjoying the safety she brought with her.

"We just got a little lost," I said quietly.

"Lost is lost, Bella," she replied. "I don't care how lost you were, you were still lost."

I fell silent, wondering if she was angry.

"I don't want to lose you again," she whispered.

I glanced up.

"Sorry."

"Don't start feeling guilty," she admonished. "You kept Jake safe, and at least you had Edward with you."

"Yeah, he's helpful," I said, forcing my smile back.

There was nothing funny about getting lost in a temperate rainforest.

"I'm glad he was there. God only knows what would have happened if he wasn't," she shuddered.

"But he was," I said confidently. "He was there, and we're all safe. Don't worry, Ali."

She stopped dead in her tracks, nearly knocking me back down the steps as she stared at me, her eyes bright.

"What did you say?"

"Don't worry?" I squeaked, feeling absolutely certain that her unwavering kindness and calm was about to break.

"Not that," she dismissed, waving her hand impatiently. "Did you call me 'Ali'?"

I stared, blinking as I processed that.

Ali. Where had that name come from?

"I haven't heard that name come out of your mouth since you were six years old," she said, awed.

"Really?"

"Really," she whispered, obviously pleased with me. She smiled brightly and continued up the steps, turning around once we were at the top once more.

She nearly crushed me in her hug- quite the feat for someone as small as she was… she was barely bigger than I was!

"I love you, Bell," she said, kissing my cheek firmly as she held on. The feeling was still a little foreign, but I enjoyed the security and heat her arms provided me with.

I was cold.

"Love you too," I said, my voice muffled by her shoulder. She nearly shook with glee before she let me go, grinning tearfully.

I'd made her cry.

"Come on and shower," she said cheerfully, baffling me completely as she laughed lightly.

She hugged, she cried, and then she laughed?

I followed her anyways, still slightly alarmed by her tears. She led me straight through my bedroom, right into my bathroom where she brought my clothes she'd picked out for me this morning.

"You know you don't have to wear what I pick, right?" she said suddenly, looking nervous. "I mean, if you want to pick out your own stuff, that's fine-"

"It's nice," I said honestly. "I'm not much good at matching stuff up." She smiled at me, placing the clothes together on the counter space before she marched over to my large bathtub, turning on the tap.

"You can soak this time," she decided. "It'll help you warm up."

"Thanks," I said quickly, watching as she tested the temperature and put the stopper in the drain, keeping the water from escaping. She let it fill a little bit before she produced a large, pink bottle, pouring some of the pink gel into the flowing water.

It bubbled up quickly, forming a layer of soapy foam on top of the water. I was mesmerized.

"What is that?" I asked boldly, knowing Alice wouldn't mind my questions.

Alice liked it when I spoke to her- she'd said so herself.

"Bubble bath," she said simply, giving the fascinating concoction a very obvious name. "I'll go outside and let you get in, okay?"

"Alright."

"The bubbles will keep you covered, and I'll come back to help you wash up," she said softly.

"Thanks," I said, knowing she could wash my hair much better than I ever managed to. She simply gestured to the bath and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. I glanced at the massive, ever-filling tub as I peeled off the damp, muddy pyjamas and put my feet into the tub.

The bubbles tickled my back and bottom as I sat down, letting the bubbles cover my chest. I was amazed at how opaque they were, knowing very well that bubbles were usually clear.

They even had a light pink tinge to them, and they smelled like strawberries.

"Done?" asked Alice from outside the door, her voice closer than I'd thought.

"Yeah."

She cracked the door opened and peeked inside, making sure I was indeed covered before she moved inside, bringing a wooden stool from my room with her.

"Bubble baths are relaxing," she said, leaning over to turn the taps off. She grinned at me as I found a spot of clear water to wet my hair, letting the larger particles of dirt to flow away.

"I like it," I decided, scooping up a handful of suds.

"I'm glad."

Alice and I sat together in my bathroom for a long time before the bubbles started to recede, and Alice offered to wash my hair for me before the bubbles disappeared, and I was left naked and exposed in the bathtub. She scrubbed and lathered expertly, making me quite sleepy as I relaxed into her touch, feeling much happier than any other time in the bath. She rinsed and conditioned easily, leaving but a few minutes of bubbles to spare.

"I'll go and let you get out," she said. "I'll be outside the door when you're ready."

"Thank you, Alice," I said softly, offering her a small smile as she left.

I felt the strangest urge to hug her, but I was all wet, and she was already at the bathroom door. I pulled the plug easily and watched the tepid water slide down the drain, swirling and twisting as it disappeared. I got out of my bath, feeling very clean and refreshed as I moved towards the towels, wrapping my hair haphazardly. Alice had left me some more comfortable clothes than I'd been expecting- sweat pants and a long-sleeved shirt- and I slid them on easily, only struggling a little with the bra straps. I found the deodorant on my own, applying a thin layer to each underarm before I cleaned up the water I'd left on the floor, and wrapped everything in the wet towels, ready to meet Alice outside.

Alice was waiting on my bed, just like she said, and let me toss my clothing and towels into the laundry hamper before she brushed out my long hair for me, taking extreme care not to tug or pull too hard.

Jake was sitting on my bed as well, watching the entire production between his two favourite people. I called him over quietly as Alice brushed, patting his heavy head as he rested it in my lap, his large, brown dog-eyes watching me closely.

He looked sorry, and I instantly forgave him for running off into the woods on my watch.

"Esme and Carlisle want to talk," said Alice softly, placing the brush down on the desk.

I froze, fear tearing through me quickly.

_Now _I was in for it.

"No, no!" cried Alice worriedly, seeing my anxiety. "They're not mad."

"Are you sure?" I asked boldly.

"Positive," she said easily.

I watched her face for signs of falsehood, finding none.

"Come on," she said again, taking me by the hand as she led me to the door, allowing Jake to descend the stairs first. No one wanted to be knocked down three flights of stairs by the excitable dog on a Saturday morning. Alice and I got to the kitchen much sooner than I'd have liked, finding both Carlisle and Esme seated together at the dining room table, both looking a relieved, but still a little worried.

"Feel better?" asked Esme caringly, seeing my newfound cleanliness.

"Yes," I said quietly, moving closer to Alice for comfort. Jake also provided his own warmth on my other side, leaning up against me heavily.

Together with Jake, Alice and I made a Bella-sandwich.

"Have a seat, dear," said Esme gently, pulling out the chair next to hers at the table.

"Okay," I whispered, watching as Alice sat down as well, glancing at her parents.

I suddenly wondered what our original parents were like, and whether or not they'd have been angry with me for traipsing off into the woods in pursuit of a dog.

"You haven't eaten yet," said Esme suddenly, standing quickly. No one spoke as she moved towards the fridge, producing a glass plate covered with Saran wrap, two smaller plates, two glasses and a pitcher of red-coloured juice. She managed everything in one trip, setting the platter and plates down between Alice and myself, handing us each a glass. Alice took the juice and filled both cups, handing one to me.

"Thank you," I said to both of them, making Esme smile.

"Anytime dear."

I watched in silence as Alice placed two sandwich wedges on my plate, knowing I wasn't going to do it myself. I didn't want to overeat and make them think I was greedy… no. Greediness wasn't tolerated where I came from.

"First off," started Esme, upon seeing that both Alice and I had a share of food, "we need to discuss what happened this morning."

I watched the table as she spoke, not daring to look up at Doctor Cullen.

"Bella, don't be afraid," he said, sensing my discomfort. "We're not angry, just concerned."

Angry, concerned, upset, disappointed, unhappy… it all meant the same thing.

They were mad, and they were mad at _me._

"The forest around here is a dangerous place to wander off to," he continued. "There are animals living here that you're not used to."

Silence.

"Next time Jake gets loose, call Esme or myself to help you out," he decided. "We'd be happy to help you get him back, but rushing off with Edward into the bushes isn't a smart thing to do."

"I'm sorry."

Even I heard the tearful tone of my own voice, making Esme frown as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

"Don't be frightened," she said. "In this house, we don't scream and yell, or hit."

I found that hard to believe.

"You're old enough for us to talk with about what's going on," said Carlisle. "We don't want you to feel threatened here."

"Okay."

My voice was still shaking, and I felt Esme's hold tighten.

"Do you understand what we're trying to say?" she asked carefully, watching me closely for signs of panic.

"Stay out of the trees," I recited dutifully. "There's animals."

"That's right," she said gently, her voice much more reassured. "The forest can be disorienting for someone who's unused to it."

"Okay."

"We just don't want you to get hurt," continued Carlisle, watching me closely with his piercing, blue eyes. "We want you safe."

"Really?" I blurted, my hand flying to my mouth as the word escaped. Carlisle's eyebrows twitched together as he observed me carefully, Esme's eyes astonished and appalled.

"Of course we do," he said easily. "There's nothing we want more than for our children to stay safe and secure."

Their children?

"Oh," I said stupidly.

Was I one of their children?

"You're just as much a daughter to me as Alice or Rosalie," said Esme fiercely, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I _always _want you to be safe." I felt her hold on me, and it made me _feel _safe as Alice's hand travelled to my back, rubbing gentle, encouraging circles. Esme didn't let me go when I loosened my hold, and I felt her tense posture as she ran her hand down the back of my hair.

"We love you, and we want you safe," she repeated in a whisper.

She loved me.

"I love you too," I said quietly, my voice carrying just far enough for Carlisle to hear as well. He smiled softly at the admission and she kissed the top of my head easily as she let me go, rather reluctantly.

"Please don't go off into the woods alone," she pleaded again, her eyes bright and nervous once more.

"I won't," I promised. "And I'm sorry about the pants-"

"Never you mind those," she said dismissively. "Pants are replaceable."

"Thank you," I said again, overjoyed that she wasn't angry. Alice's hand slid into mine, and she squeezed it lightly, her grip remaining strong.

"You're welcome," said Esme earnestly. "You're very, very welcome."

Esme, sensing the end of the discussion, stood up with one last smile for me, moving towards her kitchen. Carlisle, Alice and I remained seated, Alice and Carlisle at ease, and me incredibly awkward and out of place.

"Are you sure you're alright, sweetheart?" asked Carlisle gently, his low voice flowing through the room.

I felt a shiver run down my back at the sound of it- I was much too unused to hearing such gentle, kind concern embedded within the deep tenor of a man's voice.

"I'm sure," I said easily, my voice quiet.

"Any headache?" he asked gently, leaning forward towards me.

"No."

"Alright then," he said, offering me a gentle smile. "I want you to tell me if you're unwell."

"I will," I said, not sure if I was lying to him. I could tell Alice or Esme if I was sick, but the doctor himself?

"I'm glad," he said gently. "Esme and I want you to feel comfortable with us, and we definitely don't want you hurting."

His words never failed to surprise me, and with one last smile, he excused himself to join his wife in the kitchen.

"Let's go out to the living room," said Alice quietly, smiling at me from my left.

"Alright."

"I'm proud of you," she said confidentially. "You did really well in there."

"I did?" I asked confusedly, earning me a nod.

"You didn't panic, and you were calm enough to listen to Carlisle," she said. "It's a huge step."

"I guess so," I admitted.

"It is," she insisted. "You're progressing nicely."

I was glad she thought so… I still felt very inadequate.

The living room wasn't empty when we arrived, and I was a little startled to see both Jasper and Edward seated in there, watching the news on the television.

"Hey guys," said Alice easily, smiling as I gravitated towards the sofa Edward was seated on. It was either that or Jasper, and I wasn't entirely comfortable with Jasper just yet.

In fact, I wasn't at _all _comfortable with Jasper.

Edward smiled as I sat next to him and his darkened wet hair, letting Alice and Jasper start up their own conversation.

"Hi Bella," he said gently, keeping a comfortable distance as I perched myself on the far end of the sofa.

"Hi Edward," I returned.

"Bella?" asked Alice suddenly, glancing at me nervously from the other sofa. "Jasper and I are going to grab the bags from my car, if you want to come…" she trailed off.

"I'm fine here," I said quickly, seeing Jasper's eyes sadden slightly as she nodded, taking his hand.

I wondered of Jasper _wanted _to know me, or whether he was upset that I'd turned Alice down. I didn't have time to ponder it as Alice simply nodded, proceeding outside where her car was waiting.

Jake joined Edward and I on the sofa, squishing himself into a small ball to fit on the centre cushion between us.

I patted his head.

"Are you alright?" asked Edward nervously, watching me intently as he looked me over. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm okay," I said quickly. "Does that hurt?" I asked, pointing to his cheek. He chuckled.

"Not at all," he said easily. "Just a little scratch."

"Scratches can still hurt," I objected.

"Not this one." I nodded to myself as I looked away, blushing lightly.

I hated my blushing.

"I liked that meadow," I blurted suddenly, remembering the lush, fertile field we'd stumbled across during our ill-fated trek through the wilderness.

"It was something else," he admitted. "I've never seen anything like that in the twelve years I've lived here."

"Really?"

"Really," he vowed, his eyes glittering humorously. "It was stunning."

"It was pretty," I said, trying my hardest to remember the intense detail of the flowers and trees.

"Would you want to see it again?" he asked suddenly, sitting up straighter.

"Esme and Doctor Cullen said no roaming the forest," I said robotically, not daring to even _think _of disobeying them.

The last thing I wanted was to do was upset Esme by being eaten by a local bear.

"Not without equipment," he clarified. "Emmett, Jasper and I have gone hiking before."

"We don't know where it is…" I said confusedly.

"We can use a grid system on a map," he said easily, confusing me. "You draw a grid on the surface and use a compass. Or we could head up to Newton's and by a GPS."

"A what?"

"A GPS. It tells you where you are via satellite."

"Oh."

I had no idea what he was talking about anymore.

"Mom and dad should be okay with it, if we use the right stuff."

He sounded excited now, and I didn't want to upset him.

"If Esme and Doctor Cullen say it's okay," I said hesitantly, seeing his expression change.

"Why don't you call him Carlisle?" he asked curiously.

"I do," I defended.

"He'd love for you to call him Carlisle," said Edward gently. "He wants you to like him."

I had nothing to say to that, so I wisely kept quiet.

"Anyways," he said, changing the subject again. "You'd be interested in finding that meadow?"

"Yes," I said easily.

I'd love to see that mini paradise again.

"I'm glad," he said quietly. "We'll have fun."

"Yeah." I said.

"Yeah."

And with that last word between us, the two of us fell into a comfortable silence, settling watching the moving photos on the news_._

**A/N: So there we have it- a little bit of a filler chapter, but a VERY early one. I know there's not much action going on in these chapters, but there's a real need for Bella to form some sort of bond with the other members of her family. We'll be seeing more of Jasper, Rosalie and Carlisle in the coming chapters, since Bella needs to get to know them too.**

**Please leave reviews, just like you did so excellently yesterday!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 11**

**A/N: Here's the eleventh chapter of Dark Waltz- Hopefully you'll enjoy it! Let me know at the end. **

APOV

At this time last year, there was nothing in this calm, peaceful household to suggest that anything would change. Esme was constant as ever, Carlisle as loving, my siblings as happy, and my Jasper as devoted. There was nothing to suggest that we would be turned upside down, nothing to foreshadow our sudden change of plans, and the quick, drastic twist of fate in store for us.

I never would have imagined seeing my little sister again. I never would have even _contemplated _something so radical and overwhelming as being reunited with Bella- the one Swan sibling that had been left behind. The straggler. _My _straggler.

Bella had always been my trailing tail, and without her, I'd been off-balance. Without Bella, things had been strange and awkward.

But Emmett and I had learned to adapt. We'd been assimilated into Carlisle and Esme's life without much hassle, with nothing but love and care. Our second parents loved us just as much as the first ones had, and I knew that despite the tragedy that had befallen us, I was lucky to have had two sets of parental figures to cheer me on.

But Bella hadn't been so lucky. She'd been taken away from us, shoved into an inadequate home and was then forced into some sort of psychotic medical facility specializing in treatments for a disease she didn't have.

I pondered my sister's fate as I descended the stairs, down into the living room.

Four weeks ago, Bella had joined our family. Four weeks ago, she'd shied away from my hugs. Four weeks ago, she'd suffered a major break down- two, in fact. During that week, she'd relearned how to love her brother- the massive bear that wanted nothing but her approval. Four weeks ago, we'd learned how badly she'd been treated, the abuse she'd suffered at the hands of medical professionals that were supposed to love her. Four weeks ago, I'd seen her scars. Four weeks ago, Bella Swan had come home.

And it had been an uphill battle since then.

She'd fought valiantly up until now, doing her very best to stave off any more panic attacks. She failed three times in the past four weeks, succumbing to the overwhelming, intense panic that came along with her memories. We were up to five major attacks now in just over a month, and it upset me to see. Bella was trying so hard to be so strong, but sometimes, strength evaded even the bravest, most daring warriors.

Bella was definitely a warrior.

My sister had fought tooth and nail in that institution against one of the grisliest sadists in existence, and she'd continue to fight the demons in her mind until the day she died.

But at the very least, she was trying. It was hard to see her struggle throughout the day, to relearn things she knew when she was little older than a toddler. She learned a lot with us- about the television, how to properly brush out her hair and how to match clothing appropriately. Emmett had managed to teach her the basics of the Wii and X-Box, while Esme had her started in the kitchen.

Bella could now officially tie her shoes, change the channel, keep up her personal hygiene, win the easiest races on MarioKart, pass the beginner levels on Guitar Hero, and cook herself a scrambled egg.

She was progressing beautifully, given the circumstances.

And my baby was being an excellent friend to my sister, following her faithfully as she moved about her days. Jake kept Bella safe from any mini bouts of panic she might experience throughout the day, and provided her with the safety and comfort she needed during the nighttime hours. He watched over her diligently, obeying her every word and following her every move.

I was ecstatic that he had taken so well to her.

I remembered that fateful night two weeks ago, the night after Bella and Edward had gotten lost in the forest. I recalled when we realized how important Jake was to Bella during her sleep, and we were given a harsh reminder of why we let Jake up in Bella's bedroom.

_Screaming. Shrill, terrified, blood-curdling shrieks, were what had woken me up that night. I glanced at the flashing numbers on my alarm clock, seeing the red 3:44 glowing innocently in the corner as another cry rang out, and I groggily jumped up._

_It came from upstairs._

"_Bella?" called Esme worriedly as I opened my door, seeing her disappear to the upper level of the house. Jasper was wide awake as well, obviously having a late-night reading session as Emmett's door opened as well, his head peeking out._

"_Where is she?" he demanded worriedly, not liking the sound of her screeching._

"_Oh Bella!" I heard Esme cry, her voice tearful and sad as I rushed to the stairs, closely followed by Carlisle and Emmett._

"_I'll grab an Ativan," said Carlisle sadly, turning towards his study before we reached the stairs. Emmett followed me up to the third floor, where Esme was standing in the middle of the bedroom._

_I froze._

_Esme had turned on a lamp to survey the scene before her, and what was revealed was rather startling. Bella was curled in the corner, her face white as a sheet and clammy as her arms clamped around her knees, gripping her hair in the all-too familiar death grip. On the floor was a shattered glass that had been filled with water before she went to bed._

_But it was her left hand that had attracted my attention._

_Although she gripped her hair, a sharp shard of glass was poked through the skin, blood oozing out around the sides._

"_Shit," said Emmett worriedly, noticing the droplets of blood on the floor as well._

_Only then did I notice Edward, looking worried and antsy._

"_Where's dad?" he asked quickly, glancing at the door._

"_Gone to get her some medication," I admitted in a low tone, not wanting to set her off again._

"_Sweetheart, let go," urged Esme, trying to get Bella to release her death grip on her hair. She whimpered, the sound more fearful than sad, making Esme's tears fall over._

"_Where's Jake?" she asked quietly, glancing at me._

"_Oh damn, he's downstairs!" I cried loudly, making Emmett shush me sadly. "I didn't even _think…"

"_It's alright, Alice," she said quickly. "We couldn't have anticipated this."_

"_Esme?"_

_We all glanced down at Bella's shaking, scared little body curled on the floor._

"_Right here, sweetheart," she crooned, reaching out slowly. Bella allowed her to pry her hands away just as dad appeared in the doorway, a water bottle and pill bottle in hand._

"_Here sweetheart," he said gently, offering her the pill with an open palm._

_She panicked again, curling into the wall._

"_No," she whispered, shaking her head. "Please, no, no-"_

"_You're safe," he said, firm, but not unkind. "You need to relax."_

_She cried, and I was instantly brought back to her first week with us._

It would suffice to say that it had taken more than twenty minutes of coaxing on Carlisle's part to force that pill into her body, and even longer to convince her to let him fix up her hand. Seven stitches and one large bandage later, Bella was tucked back into bed at 4:30, this time with Jake at her side.

Yes, Bella's improvement was slow, but at least it _was._

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, all my worries dissipated. There she was, seated on the sofa with her legs curled under her and the dog sleeping by her side as she examined one of the many fashion magazines I had lying around the house. She'd found out last week that although she was by no means a fashionista, she did enjoy looking at all the bright photos and advertisements it contained.

This time, however, was different- her brow was furrowed in concentration as her lips moved to form words, to try and read the text presented on the page.

"Hi Bella," I said softly, not wanting to startle her.

She jumped anyways.

"Hi Alice," she said, suddenly reddening in embarrassment as I caught her at her task.

"What 'cha reading?" I asked idly, knowing very well what it was.

"Nothing." She closed the magazine quickly and dropped it back on the table, sitting back as I approached.

"It's alright to read them," I assured her, knowing how she fretted over property rights. She never wanted to infringe on anyone's personal space or touch anything she wasn't supposed to touch.

She blushed deeper, shrugging.

"It's alright," she said. "I'm not a very good reader."

That seemed upsetting to her, and I frowned.

"You used to read a little," I offered, remembering how she'd just learned to read _Go, Dog, Go! _before our parents had been killed.

She'd been so proud, reading that story to dad.

"I can still read a little," she admitted quietly, shrugging. "Not a lot."

"Let's see," I said, having a sudden spur of inspiration.

I would help her.

"It's okay," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I don't need to-"

"Yes, you do," I said easily, picking up the book.

What teenage girl had never learned to read?

"Where were you?" I asked, watching as she turned to the twenty third page, to an article about a famous singer from the seventies.

"Cool," I said, glancing at the small, colourful letters arrayed to form words on the glossy paper.

"Try out loud," I suggested, making her frown.

"I'm no good at it," she protested weakly. "I can't-"

"Try," I urged. "The more you practice, the better you'll be."

She sighed, taking the magazine on her own lap.

"Born March 26, 1944 in…" she started slowly, trailing off as she reached her first stumbling block.

"Sound it out," I encouraged, watching as she frowned, turning her head to the side.

"What is that?" she asked, her voice curious.

"It's a city," I said honestly. "It says 'Detroit'."

"…Detroit, Michigan" she continued, "Diana Ross is a true music i-…"

She struggled again.

"It's an easier one," I encouraged. "I-C-O-N."

"Is it 'eye' or "ee"? she asked, referring to the letter I.

"Eye."

"Icon?" she guessed, frowning confusedly.

"Right."

"What's an icon?"

"Something popular," I said easily. "Diana Ross is a musical icon, so she's a popular musician that people can look up to."

"Oh."

And with that, she continued on.

"Her solo career began in the 1970s after leaving The Supremes," she read, her voice stumbling over the more difficult words like "career" and "Supremes".

As she stumbled through the whole article, I realized that my sister wasn't as uneducated as I'd originally thought.

"You're pretty good at it," I admitted. She scoffed loudly, glancing up incredulously.

"I suck at it," she said firmly. "I can't read."

"You just did," I pointed out. She frowned, shrugging, and I knew she was self-conscious.

"You're doing so well," I praised, hugging her gently and drawing her close. No matter how many times I hugged her, it would never be enough to make up for ten years of missed childhood.

"Not really," she said dejectedly, looking down at the colourful paper. "I just learned how to tie shoes not three weeks ago."

"Better late than never," I said honestly.

"Sixteen year olds should know how to tie a bow," she argued.

"And now you do."

"Alice," she scolded, looking up at me with a startlingly familiar look in her eyes.

It was the old "why are you acting so stupid?" look from her baby days. Our parents had gotten that look many times before, when they tried to fool my intelligent, perceptive baby sister.

"What?" I asked innocently. "You're progressing so well."

"I'm stupid, Alice," she said bluntly, the words hitting me hard.

"Bella Marie," I scolded. "You're not stupid."

"I'm sixteen years old, can't read, can't write, couldn't do a math question to save my life and I just learned how to brush my own hair, cook an egg and tie my own shoes! And I have to sleep with the dog!" she cried tearfully, making me frown.

"You're a bright, intelligent young lady," I said firmly. "You're learning things you should have learned as a little kid."

"Exactly," she said, looking sadly smug at the idea of my words validating her stupidity.

"Exactly what?" I demanded. "Your childhood was taken away from you. You didn't choose not to learn."

She stared at me, looking quite morose.

"You're not stupid," I repeated quietly, drawing her in for a hug. She complied easily and I felt her melting into my hold, her arms snaking around my midriff.

"How did I forget you, Alice?" she moaned sadly, just as I felt her tears soaking through. "How did I not remember who you were?"

"You will remember," I said confidently. "You remember more and more everyday."

"No," she said sadly, the tears increasing. "I remember two whole things from before, and nothing else."

"You will remember," I said. "You called me Ali."

"I don't know where that came from!" she wailed sadly, her body shaking as she tried to suppress her sadness. "It just came out."

"The very first thing you called me when you learned how to speak was 'Ali'," I said. "Ali and Em. The names carried on after that."

"I want to remember, Alice," she sniffed. "I want to remember us."

"You will."

"What if I don't?" she said worriedly, her brown eyes peeking up at me. "What if I never remember what happened before?"

"Then we make new memories," I said firmly. "We make new, happy memories of us that no one will ever take away from you again."

She sniffled, drying her eyes on the back of her hand.

"I love you," she said quietly. "I know that much."

"Love you too, Bella."

The two of us fell into a deep silence for a moment after our words had been exchanged, and I slowly slid the magazine onto the table.

"Are you two alright?"

Bella jumped violently as Jasper appeared at the bottom of the stairs, looking a little worried for the two of us.

"We're fine, Jazz," I said honestly, smiling softly. "Just a little emotional." He nodded understandingly.

"What have you been up to?" he asked, making Bella sniff as she tried desperately to hide any traces of tears from her newest brother.

"Reading," I said idly, making Bella scowl lightly.

"Hardly," she mumbled, her eyes tearing once more.

"Bella," I scolded. "Enough of that."

She fell silent, her eyes flickering to Jasper uncomfortably.

"Reading, eh?" he asked, nodding as he sat down in an armchair. "Anything I'm familiar with?"

"I doubt it," said Bella quietly, stunning me.

Never, in one whole month, had Bella said any direct words to Jasper.

He scared her.

"What was it?" he asked, overcoming his shock easily. Jasper had an inherent talent for smoothing over any emotions, be it with himself or other people, as easily as if they'd never happened.

"Alice's fashion book," she said quietly, realizing now who she was speaking to.

"Which one?" he asked carefully, examining the table.

"Vogue," I supplied. "We were reading up on Diana Ross."

"Fun," he said dryly. "You've got to love that."

"Not really," admitted Bella quietly. "I can't read."

"Yes you can," I said, frustrated with her self-deprecation. "You did really well."

She scoffed loudly.

"Bella, come on," I said sadly. "Give yourself some credit."

She fell silent.

"Do you want to get better at it?" asked Jasper carefully, watching Bella with his wide, blue eyes.

"I guess," she admitted softly, fidgeting nervously. "It would be useful."

"It is," said Jasper enthusiastically. "I love to read."

_Too true, _I thought. Jasper had an insatiable need to read and absorb any piece of writing he could get his hands on, much like my shopping obsession, but much more educational.

"That's nice," said Bella, reusing the phrase she always used when she wasn't sure how to respond.

"Would you like me to help you out?" offered Jasper boldly, making me smile.

I was glad Jasper was taking initiative to make use of his free time getting to know my sister.

Bella hesitated, and I waited tensely for her answer. I knew it upset Jasper to know that she drew comparisons between him and those terrorizing men from Arizona.

"Alright," she said, the effort easily visible.

It pained her to be around Jasper, but again, she was trying.

"Great," he said. "I'll go grab something."

And go he did, rushing up the stairs to his massive bookcase for something Bella-appropriate to read. I stared as my sister's anxiety deflated a bit, making her sink into the couch.

"He'll be a better teacher than I am," I said honestly. "He's much more interested in it."

"I'm nervous," she admitted.

Another step forward. Bella had a huge issue with expressing her emotions out loud, since she still wasn't sure what to expect in return from us. Would we hurt her, or help her?

"I know," I said quietly. "Jasper wouldn't hurt you."

"I know that," she admitted, "but my nerves aren't so sure."

That was sad to hear. My sister was hardwired to distrust men of all types, even the good, kind ones.

She feared my _father, _for heaven's sake, which was a tragedy in and of itself. Carlisle would love nothing more than to be able to show his newest child love, but with her so fearful and distant, he was moving at her pace, not his.

"Jasper's good with people," I admitted. "You should get along fine."

"I hope so," was all she said.

Before long, Jasper reappeared with a few choices in hand, ranging from short fiction novels to children's books, clearly unsure where she was at.

"We'll try these first," he said, offering her a Robert Munsch book to start off. Though her reading was a little choppy and hesitant, she flew through the kids book easily, much to his delight.

I saw the excited twinkle in his eye, and I knew he was thoroughly enjoying himself, having someone to teach and mentor in a skill that was, in his eyes, so vitally necessary for the enjoyment of life. The two of them sat together on one sofa, half a cushion between them as he watched her read, stumbling over only a few words they came across.

I was unspeakably proud as I watched silently, not daring to leave, but not daring to break their concentration either.

Half an hour later, Esme found the three of us sitting together, Bella chipping away at one of the more difficult novels Jasper had provided her with. Esme watched from behind them in the kitchen, her face bright and smiling as she watched the slow, subtle bond forming between Bella and Jasper.

I listened as my Jasper pointed out all sorts of grammatical processes and proper pronunciations throughout the book, Bella taking it all in like a sponge. If she struggled, he gave her the word in question and explained why it might be difficult for her, something I could never do.

Jasper was a phenomenal teacher.

Esme listened in for a long while and although I was almost positive Jasper knew she was there, I knew Bella was oblivious. She read her way through three chapters of _Charlotte's Web _before she decided she was done for the night, making Jasper smile.

"Keep this with you," he said, offering her the novel. "You can read in your spare time, if you're up to it."

Esme beamed.

"Thanks," said Bella bashfully, glancing up at him carefully, evaluating his mood.

"You're welcome," he said. "You did really well."

She simply nodded, not daring to argue with him as she had with me. She'd made progress with him, but she was nowhere close to instigating a debate about her intelligence with him just yet.

"Dinner's almost ready," said Esme gently from her place, making Bella turn with wide eyes as she caught sight of my mother, watching her. She flushed bright red as she cleared her throat, obviously wondering how much of the session Esme had heard.

"You _are _doing well," I heard her whisper as Bella passed into the dining room, Jake hot on her heels.

Bella's colour only darkened as she stammered her thanks, and we all gathered together for our meal.

**A/N: Please leave some feedback!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 12**

BPOV

Over the next week, I learned a lot about my new family.

I learned that Esme and Carlisle had met in high school when they lived in Jacksonville, and that Esme had a brother named Alec who still lived there with his wife, Jane.

I also learned that Jane wasn't a very nice woman, and that she and her brother rarely spoke because of her.

I learned that Doctor Cullen hadn't wanted to be a doctor until his second year of university. He'd taken two years of pre-law before he became a physician.

What was pre-law? That was my question for Esme.

"It's what people need to get into law school," she'd explained. "If you pass pre-law, you have a good chance to get into law school, so you can be a lawyer."

"A lawyer?" I'd asked, slightly confused.

Those did court things, right?

"They represent the public and various corporations when dealing with legal issues," Esme had explained. "It's a well-paying job."

Esme liked telling me about her life. She found it exciting that I wanted to get to know her.

I also learned that Jasper Hale wasn't nearly as frightening as I'd assumed he was. Sure, he was blonde and thin, much like the Doctor in Phoenix, but he was very, very kind.

Almost too kind, I decided.

After helping me with the novel, Charlotte's Web, he'd gotten very excited about teaching me all sorts of new things. I'd been wary of him at first, not knowing when he strange, almost alarming calm would break, but I'd recently grown to be much more curious about him.

Where had he and Rosalie come from?

_"Our parents were deemed unfit to care for us," he'd explained. _

_"Oh."_

_"The two of us were taken by Child Services when we were younger, and we were placed in a group home."_

_"So was I," I offered, though I didn't remember any details of my time there._

_"I know," he said kindly. "They're not very nice places to be."_

_"Oh."_

_"Rosalie and I were taken by Carlisle and Esme later on, and we've been here ever since."_

_"That's nice."_

_"It is," he said easily, changing the subject easily and returning to my focus to the novel's many words._

Jasper Hale was a very, very nice person to be around… after I was able to look past my aversion to him, I realized how calm he was. Nothing riled Jasper- not even Alice on an angry rampage.

She'd been quite mad when Jake had broken into her closet and chewed up one of her favourite pairs of heels. I didn't see what was so special about them, but apparently they had cost her quite a bit of money, and they'd been a limited edition.

Whatever that meant.

Jasper, cool as a cucumber had been able to defuse Alice's angry rage and replace it with a gentle, quieter attitude.

Though she was still mad… I knew that much by the angry glint in her eye whenever Jake crossed her. The poor puppy had been so scared of Alice's anger that it had taken him two days to suck up enough to earn her forgiveness.

After those two days, Alice was normal again, and it was as if Jake had never even thought about her shoes in the first place.

Now, I was sitting down on the sofa in the living room, determined to finish a few chapters of Charlotte's Web- the book I'd started earlier. The words flew by much easier than they had a few weeks ago- thanks to Jasper's tutelage- and I had a sneaking suspicion that I'd known how to read before I'd been taken away from Alice and Emmett.

It felt like I was remembering something, not learning something entirely new.

Charlotte's Web was quickly becoming my favourite book- I hated spiders with a passion, but Charlotte was a good spider, and I couldn't help but love her.

Wilbur was adorable too, I had to say.

It was there, as I was sounding my way through the words on the worn paper, that Rosalie Hale walked into the room, radiant and beautiful as ever.

"Hi Bella," she said kindly, glancing around the almost empty room and deciding on a spot to sit in- on the other end of my sofa.

"Hello Rosalie," I said quietly, marking my page with my finger as I glanced up at her. She grinned at me as I put the book down, looking impressed that I was even speaking to her.

She wasn't frightening, but she was intimidating.

"That book was one of Jasper's favourites for years," she reminisced, glancing down at the paperback novel.

"It's nice," I said robotically, repeating my classic phrase.

"It's cute," she admitted. "I've read it once." I smiled tensely, not knowing exactly how to behave in front of this strange girl.

"Are you learning much with Jazz?" she asked me gently, leaning over to rest her arm on her knee. Her chin rested in her palm as she watched me intently, making me a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah," I admitted. "He's a good teacher."

"That's good," she said kindly. "He's loves to teach, and you're the perfect student."

I blushed.

"I actually have something to ask you," she said softly, watching me gently. "Emmett sent me."

"Emmett?" I asked confusedly.

My brother was very kind as well, but he was a little frightening sometimes. He didn't really know how to be quiet or calm.

He was very boisterous, just like my limited memory told me he'd been as a small child.

"Yeah," she admitted. "We want to know if you'd like to come to Port Angeles with us for dinner and a movie."

"Port Angeles?" I asked, remembering the town's name from Alice's shopping trips.

"Yeah," she said. "We'd go out to eat- probably at La Bella Italia- and then we'd go down to the theatre to see a show."

"You want me to come?" I asked incredulously. Emmett and Rosalie often visited the movie theatre, but always on what Emmett called a "date". And from what I understood of dating, it was supposed to be between someone and their significant other, not a strange, uneducated girl, her bear of a brother and his beautiful girlfriend.

"Of course," she said easily, smiling radiantly. "We haven't really spent much time together, and I'd like to get to know you a little more."

"Oh."

"So what do you say?" she asked eagerly. "Your brother is already excited."

"Will you guys be there all the time?" I asked nervously, feeling very childish for even asking.

Teenagers were supposed to go to movies alone, I knew that, but that step was one that I wasn't even remotely ready for yet.

"Of course we will be," she said. "Neither Emmett or I would ever leave you alone in a strange town."

"Okay," I agreed bashfully. "Thanks."

"Anytime, honey," she said kindly, smiling as she leaned in and embraced me, much like Alice loved to do.

"At what time?" I asked once she let me go, smiling.

"We'll leave at four," she said. "We can eat as soon as we get there, and the movie will start at seven."

"Alright," I said quietly, watching as she disappeared up the stairs to tell Emmett that I'd agreed to go.

"You'll have fun."

I gasped, startled as I turned around and spotted Doctor Cullen standing in the entranceway to the kitchen, a smile on his face. I didn't respond and he simply watched me kindly before he took a hesitant step inside, all the while watching my reaction.

"Make sure you let Rosalie choose the movie," he advised quickly. "Lord only knows what that brother of yours will pick…"

"_Let _her pick?" I asked confusedly, frowning. Carlisle smiled crookedly, his face looking much younger and more playful than I'd ever seen it before.

"I believe the two of them have a deal- you'll be asked to choose the movie-picker," he explained. "Emmett has some gory action flick in mind, so be careful."

"Oh."

Emmett seemed like the type for an unpleasant, manly sort of film.

"Rose will suit your tastes better," he said easily, his voice always calm and caring. "Emmett can suffer through a girls' movie for one night."

"I don't want to make him mad," I said, suddenly very nervous about what I'd agreed to do.

"Oh, sweetheart," said Carlisle compassionately. I watched as he sat down carefully in the armchair across from me. "You won't upset him. It's all for fun."

"Are you sure?" I asked doubtfully.

"Absolutely positive," he said. "I don't think anything you do could make Emmett angry with you. He's missed you for much too long to waste time being upset."

"Oh."

"Your brother loves you very much," he said earnestly. "He wants nothing more than for you to be happy."

"I know."

"And I don't think Emmett's taste in films will make you very happy," he laughed. "Rosalie's, however, just might."

"Okay," I said, managing a small smile for the doctor as he fell into silence, watching me easily. Alarm bells went off in my head, registering that this medically licensed, blonde-haired man was watching me, but I forced it back angrily, not wanting to ruin a perfectly easy moment.

Calm moments between Carlisle and I were few and far between, and I was milking this one for all it was worth.

"Hey Boo!" cried the loud, familiar voice from the staircase. "Long time, no see!"

"I saw you an hour ago," I said confusedly, glancing at the digital clock in the kitchen.

"Ah, I'm just teasing, Squirt," he said easily, plunking his large frame down beside me. Without much forethought, he reached over and ruffled my hair marvellously, turning it into a rat's nest of tendrils.

"Emmett!" I squealed, jerking away as he laughed deeply.

"God, I missed you Boo," he said nostalgically, smoothing the hair he'd disturbed with one of his large, paw-like hands. I blushed deeply again, still getting used to the affection, and he watched me amusedly, the corners of his lips turned up in a grin.

"Like a little tomato," he teased, only managing to deepen the colour.

Carlisle chuckled.

"Where's the shadow?" Emmett asked idly, glancing around for Jake's furry body.

"He's outside," I said gently. "Probably digging up grass again."

"Probably," Emmett agreed, letting an easy silence fall over the room before he spoke again. "Bella?"

"Yeah?" I asked quietly.

"I'm your favourite brother, right?" he asked carefully, watching my face out of the corner of his eye. I frowned in confusion.

"You're my only brother," I reminded him.

"Right. So I'm the favourite."

"Sure," I agreed.

"Will you let me pick the movie?" he asked gently, his voice taking on a sad, pitiful tone.

Doctor Cullen snorted with laughter, shaking his head as he stood and excused himself, retreating to the dining room area where his coffee mug was sitting, cold.

"I don't know," I said honestly, making him frown.

"Rose is going to pick a chick flick!" he complained, resting his chin on my shoulder. He breathed into my ear and I jerked away, not liking the ticking feelings it caused.

"A what?" I asked, confused.

"A chick flick," he repeated, as if the term were self-explanatory.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

"A girly movie," he clarified. "Something full of topless guys and kissing."

I giggled.

"And you'll pick?" I asked hesitantly.

"Face Punch," he said easily, adding an explosion sound effect at the end.

"That sounds mean," I said honestly. Face Punch?

"It isn't," he said quickly, looking alarmed. "It has cars and explosions and fire and-"

"No thank you," I said curtly. I didn't do well with that sort of violence just yet, and although I wasn't sure what the hype about kissing was, I would much prefer to see that than something bloody.

"Ah, damn," he said sadly. "Rose!"

I jumped at the loudness of his voice.

"What?" she hollered back, her voice carrying easily down the staircase.

"You win!"

"Told you!" she cried triumphantly. "She's a girl too!"

Emmett grunted, defeated as he sank back into the sofa.

"At least the food's good," he decided, keeping on the positive side of things. "Nothing outdoes good food."

He picked up Charlotte's Web from the table, examining it carefully.

"Jazz really read this thing to pieces," he mused, glancing at the taped binding and loose pages.

"I like it," I defended, taking it from him gently. He watched as I placed my bookmark in the correct spot, closing it carefully.

"I know you do," he said gently, reaching over and wrapping his large, muscled arm around me. I felt him tug me closer and I didn't resist, knowing better than to fear my big brother.

He was the easiest man in this house to be around, so far. I leaned my head on his shoulder, smelling the distinct Emmett-y scent that he carried with him.

Alice called it Axe body wash, I called it Emmett.

"We're taking my Jeep today," he informed me suddenly. "Rose's car needs a new battery."

"Alright," I agreed easily.

That Jeep suited Emmett perfectly. He'd introduced me to it only a few days ago, and I'd been instantly taken with it.

"Great," he said enthusiastically. He released me quickly and stood, stretching before he hollered for Rose to hurry up.

"It's time to go!" he shouted loudly, his voice booming throughout the house.

It was a wonder Esme tolerated such shouting.

"I'm coming!" snapped Rosalie from the upper level of the house, her voice thick with irritation and annoyance.

"She loves me anyways," he said easily, "even if I do annoy the shit out of her."

I flushed at his foul language, being very unused to tolerated swear words. Rosalie didn't waste any time appearing at the staircase, redressed and groomed for our trip up north.

"God, you're impatient," she said, irritated as she looked my brother over. "What did you do to her hair?" she demanded, glancing at the mess atop my head.

"Ruffled it," he said indifferently.

"God, you're clueless," she snapped. "Come here, Bella."

I stared at her for a long moment, hearing the slightly angered undertones in her voice as I stood. Emmett chuckled and watched as I stepped forward, not sure what to make of her.

The last thing I wanted was for Emmett's beautiful girlfriend to get angry and smack me.

"I'll help you fix your hair before we leave," she said kindly.

Oh. Like Alice did.

"Okay," I said softly, letting her lead me into the guest bathroom just outside the sitting room. It was smaller than my bathroom upstairs, but just as nice and much, much cleaner.

Esme obviously knew the ins and outs of bathroom cleaning better than I did.

"Sit here," she directed, plopping the lid of the toilet seat down. I perched myself carefully on it, being sure not to touch anything I wasn't supposed to be touching. She produced a hairbrush from under the sink, taking off the cardboard label.

"It's new," she assured me. "Mom always buys new ones for guests, just in case."

"Oh."

She gently approached my head with the brush, holding a thick mass of hair in her hand as she used the brush to detangle any knots she came across. She brushed methodically upwards, getting closer and closer to the top of my head before the brush hit it, and she gently continued with her work.

"Am I pulling?" she asked worriedly, pausing for a moment as she watched me closely, her brows inched together in a small frown.

"No," I said easily. "You don't hurt."

"Good," she said softly, continuing on. "Tell me if I pull."

"Okay."

She finished easily, my hair smooth and tangle-free.

"Thank you," I said quickly.

"No problem. I'm not done."

"What else are you doing?" I asked, confused. She smiled at me and dove her hand into a basket on the counter, coming back with a handful of strange looking metal bits.

"Bobby pins," she explained, handing me one to examine. It looked innocent enough- a bent piece of metal, one side crinkly and the other straight, with little plastic beads on each end.

She pulled back a tendril of hair from the side of my face and pinned it back behind my ear, smiling.

"It's just nicer this way," she explained. "Untouched hair is okay, but this is much easier on the eyes."

"Thanks," I said quietly. She continued putting in bobby pins until my hair was good enough for her liking.

"Let's go before Emmett has a coronary," she whispered conspiratorially, her mouth turned up in a mischievous grin.

"Alright."

I had no idea what a "coronary" was, but I decided that it wasn't anything good. I didn't want to hurt Emmett.

"Finally!" cried Emmett loudly, tossing his hands up to the roof as we came in. He stood up and winked at me, his face smiling and happy as always.

Obviously I hadn't caused him to have a "coronary".

"To the Jeep," he said easily, marching up to Rosalie and myself. I giggled as he took my hand in his left, hers in his right and marched towards the door. I wondered if Rosalie was angry with me for stealing Emmett's other hand, but if she was, she kept her smile and the hand he'd given her, never saying a word.

Emmett's massive Jeep was parked right outside the doors, waiting for us as we exited the home.

I was oddly excited for this excursion, knowing that it would be my first time ever eating out and going to a movie. Unless, of course, I'd done so before, when Emmett, Alice and I still lived with our parents.

"Up you get," said Emmett easily, just as I felt his large hands on my back, ushering me towards the back door.

How was I supposed to get up there?

"Jump," he suggested. I tried, failing easily. He laughed appreciatively, grinning at Rosalie.

"Help her up," she ordered, looking scandalized as he watched my futile attempts.

"I am," he defended, reaching down. "I'm going to lift you, Boo," he warned.

I was glad he warned me because before I could try again, his hands were wrapped around my waist, hoisting me up into his massive vehicle.

Emmett was stronger than I thought.

"Thanks Emmett," I said quietly, clearing my throat awkwardly as I sat down on the leather seats.

Leather…

I pushed the thought back. This was Emmett's Jeep, not the Doctor's metal work table.

"How does this work?" I asked confusedly, seeing the many straps and buckles that I assumed were the seatbelt hanging over my shoulders and around my waist.

"It's an off-roading vehicle," he admitted. "You need to be strapped in pretty good if you're on bumpy, muddy trails.

"Oh."

"Here," he said, stepping up into the back easily. Rosalie moved to the other side, hopping in behind Emmett's driver's seat.

Was she sitting with me instead of my brother?

Emmett reached around and strapped me in expertly, making me feel quite secure… and stuck.

"Good," he praised, grinning. "You got it, Rose?"

"Yeah," she said easily, snapping all of her own buckles into place.

We were quite the sight when we were done, and Emmett grinned.

"Nice," he praised, leaping out and closing my door, moving to his own seat easily.

Once we were all strapped in and ready to go, Emmett turned the key and the massive beast of a car rumbled to life.

"Let's go!" he cried, his voice much louder than usual in the confined Jeep.

He rumbled easily down the driveway, watching the winding path excitedly as he turned and swerved just at the right time. Rosalie shot me a small, gentle smile as we moved, right before Emmett's hand moved off of the wheel. He reached down to the panel of buttons- the radio, if I wasn't mistaken- and turned the dial up, smiling.

I cringed at the awful noise that came through the speakers, sounding similar what I imagined a bulldozer running over a badly-tuned piano would sound like.

Over and over and over.

"Emmett!" cried Rosalie over the din. "Turn it down!"

Emmett laughed loudly, obliging as he turned the racket down, just loud enough for him to hear it.

"No wonder you're always whining about not hearing me when I call you," she snapped angrily, glancing distastefully at the speakers. "You've probably made yourself partially deaf with that crap."

"Hey now," said Emmett sadly. "There is nothing wrong with metal."

"Everything's wrong with metal," scoffed Rose, glancing at me for support. I simply nodded my head, making him frown.

"I think you like Rose better," he accused playfully. I flushed deeply, glancing down at my shoes.

"Aw, don't be embarrassed," he said. "I like her better than me too."

Rosalie smiled triumphantly, watching him closely.

"You're sweet," she decided easily.

The three of us fell into silence after that, only Emmett's terrible music choice ringing through the vehicle.

"How far is Port Angeles?" I asked softly, after a full song had played.

"Depends," said Emmett gruffly. "Sometimes two hours, sometimes one."

"Oh."

"It depends on how fast you drive," he said wickedly, watching me through his rear view mirror.

'How fast are we going?" I asked.

"Fast," he said, glancing at the dials in front of him.

"We should be there in about an hour and a half," said Rosalie, exasperated. "Don't you mind him."

Emmett chuckled, obviously in a mischievous mood.

"Okay."

He laughed outright.

The drive continued in much the same fashion, with Emmett being rambunctious and playful, and Rosalie calm and kind. We chatted idly for a while and I found myself growing to like Emmett's girlfriend- she was kind to me, and she never raised her voice in my direction.

Emmett, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky.

Port Angeles, I soon discovered, was a small town on the northern end of Washington state (whatever that was), where the people of Forks often went for holiday entertainment. There was shopping and restaurants, as well as a six-show theatre to see all the newest movies.

When Emmett drove down the lit streets, I found myself staring.

Sure, I'd passed streets like this one before- on my way to the Phoenix Airport and on my way back from the Seattle Airport, but never had I been able to participate in what streets like this one had to offer.

And never, in any of my memories, had I been to a restaurant before.

"Here we are, Boo," said Emmett, breaking my concentration as he pulled into a parking lot, parking his Jeep in between the yellow lines.

"Okay," I said, uncertain what exactly I should say. He simply grinned and unbuckled his belt, hopping out of his Jeep easily. I watched as Rosalie pressed buttons expertly, and I mimicked her, managing to untangle myself from the many restraints. I opened the door carefully and slid myself down, just as Emmett appeared at my side, grinning.

"Come on." He took me by the hand and led me forward, grinning like a madman as he took mine and Rosalie's hands again, leading us to the front door of a building.

I saw my name written on the wall- Bella- accompanied by words I couldn't read.

L-A and I-T-A-L-I-A.

Something, Bella, something. I didn't really care what it said since I knew exactly what it was.

It was the restaurant.

I felt a twinge of unusual, unfamiliar excitement as Emmett led me into the place, stopping at a small pedestal.

It smelled delicious in here, and only then did I notice Rosalie watching me interestedly. My neck was craned as I examined all the decorations and listened to the clinking of glass and silverware against the tables, making me look like quite a spectacle. I stopped quickly, not wanting to embarrass her, but she simply smiled and leaned over to whisper to me.

"Look all you want," she said. "That's what it's there for."

I beamed up at her as I resumed my searching, seeing all the interesting paintings and signs on the walls.

"It's all Italian," she explained in a low undertone, so as not to draw public attention to my lack of knowledge. "The pictures were taken in Italy."

"Wow."

I was amazed, and rightfully so. Never in my life had I seen anything comparable to this.

"How many?" asked a bored voice in front of us, making me glance over. A woman was standing at the pedestal, or podium, as I'd learned last week from Jasper, watching Emmett steadily.

"Three please," he said.

The woman nodded, motioning for Emmett to follow. I felt Rosalie's hand on my back as she steered me along, silently instructing me to follow my brother through the restaurant. It was beautiful. The woman led us to the back of the restaurant, in a little room with a table and tall-backed benches- a booth, I believe it was called. She waited for us to sit, and I was glad when Emmett let me in first, sitting right next to me with Rosalie by herself across from us.

"Menus?" asked the lady.

"Yes please," said Emmett. She nodded and stalked away, disappearing behind a wall.

"It's pretty in here," I said, as soon as the woman was out of earshot. Emmett grinned at me, nodding.

"They like to show their culture."

"What's a menu?" I blurted quietly, glancing up at him curiously. He watched me for a long moment before he answered, an undecipherable expression on his face.

"You order from it," he explained slowly, not exactly sure of his words. "There's choices, and you can pick from them."

"Pick what?" I asked.

"Food."

"The food comes from paper?" I asked, confused as he laughed loudly.

"No," he admitted. "They write down what they can cook here, you pick one and the waitress brings it once it's done."

"Oh."

The people at the table next to us were watching me curiously, confused expressions on their faces.

Emmett noticed, scowling.

"What?" he snapped, making them turn as they returned to the little books they were holding. Just as Emmett relaxed, the waitress returned with a tray, three of the little books, a pitcher of water and three glasses with her.

"Here we are," she said, handing us each a book, then placing a glass in front of everyone. "I'll be back to take your orders soon." She placed the jug of water in the middle of the table, disappearing once more.

"Thanks," said Emmett quietly as she disappeared, not caring that she couldn't hear. I opened the book, and was instantly assaulted by the many foreign words on the page. Rosalie didn't even look in hers, simply watching me as I flicked through, hoping to find something I could read.

She poured everyone's glasses of water, her eyes rarely leaving me.

"What do you like?" she asked hesitantly, glancing down at her own menu.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, looking at both her and my brother for assistance.

How embarrassing was it to need the menu read put loud to me at the restaurant?

"Pasta?" asked Emmett carefully, speaking in low tones.

"Yeah," I admitted.

"Lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccini, rigatoni, ravioli…"

I was baffled.

"What are those?" I asked incredulously. Emmett smiled softly, obviously enjoying himself.

"Ravioli, spaghetti, rigatoni and lasagna all have red sauce," he explained. "Fettuccini is a white sauce."

"Oh."

"Spaghetti is long, thin noodles, rigatoni is the tube ones, ravioli are little pasta pouches of cheese or sauce and lasagna is like sheet noodles, with cheese, meat and sauce," he explained. "Fettuccini is long, flat noodles with a white sort of garlicky, cheesy sauce."

"Oh."

"Do you like vegetables?" asked Rosalie.

"Sometimes," I admitted.

"Peppers?"

"Not really," I divulged, not sure whether or not my dislike would upset her.

"Mushrooms?"

"Yeah." Mushrooms were good.

"What about mushroom ravioli?" she asked. "You can choose if you want cheese or beef filling."

"Okay," I said easily. "Cheese," I decided. Emmett grinned.

"Perfect."

"Are we ready to order?" asked the waitress woman, having returned.

"Chicken parmesan, please," said Rosalie, examining the menu carefully.

"Soup or salad?"

"Salad."

"Garden or Caesar?" asked the waitress.

"Garden."

"To drink?"

"Water's fine," said Rose easily.

"For you?" she asked, glancing at me.

"Mushroom ravioli with the cheese filling," said Emmett quickly. "Caesar salad, and an iced tea, Boo?" he asked me.

"Yes please," I said. I knew what iced tea tasted like, thanks to Esme, and I was sure to like it. Esme had also made a Caesar salad a few nights ago, and it had been wonderful.

"And you?"

The waitress' voice had suddenly changed, turning much more sugary than she'd been with Rosalie and I. Rosalie scowled heavily and glared at the woman as the pieces began to fit together.

Did that woman like Emmett?

"Lasagna special," said Emmett easily, ignoring the woman's stares. "Coke to drink, and French onion soup."

"That's all?" she asked, taking her time to write it down.

"Yes, that's all."

Rosalie's voice was laced with venom as she stared the woman down.

"It'll be here shortly," she said quickly, clearing her throat as she retreated, obviously not wanting to upset Rosalie.

"Damn rude," she snapped, glancing up at Emmett, who was smiling widely at her.

"And that, Boo, is why I love her," he said to me easily, watching her with wide, admiring eyes. I smiled appreciatively, watching as the rest of the patrons were seated and served.

I didn't even shrink away when a strange, light-haired man sat down three tables down from us.

The three of us waited calmly as we were brought our food- something that still shocked and confused me- and we ate slowly, having ample time before the movie started.

By the time we got to the theatre, I was even more excited than I had been before the restaurant.

"Three for cinema 2," said Emmett, sounding almost pained as his eyes travelled to the poster for the fourth cinema- Face Punch.

"Seventeen twenty five," said the strange boy, bored as Emmett handed him the cash.

He was spending a lot of money on me.

"Thanks," he said, taking the three tickets and handing one to both Rosalie and I.

"Give it to the kid at the door," said Emmett softly, squeezing my shoulders. The three of us moved inside, and to my surprise, Emmett steered me away from the large door with a number 2 on it, and towards the centre of the room instead.

"Aren't we going in there?" I asked, confused. Emmett had explained the process to me during the commute between the restaurant and the theatre, and I was positive he'd told me that the poster outside corresponded to the numbered door inside.

"Yeah," he said, "but we need snacks first."

Hadn't we just eaten dinner?

"Oh."

"Come on, Boo," he chuckled, holding my hand tightly. "You've never had theatre popcorn, have you?"

"No," I admitted. Rosalie followed us as Emmett approached the cash register, glancing up at the wall-menu.

"Three number five combos," he said confidently. "One iced tea, one Sprite and one Coke."

"Twenty nine oh two."

Emmett forked over even more cash, waiting for the boy to retrieve the right products.

"Boo?"

I glanced up, moving closer to him as more people began to file inside.

"Pick a candy bar from the top three rows," he instructed, pointing me towards the display. I stared at him, not wanting him to waste even more of his money on me.

"It comes with the combo," he assured, offering me a gentle smile. Rosalie beckoned me over, grinning as she chose her own candy.

"These are sour," she warned, pointing out the top row. "The second row is chocolate and the third are all sweet."

I chose a simple chocolate bar, not daring to risk not liking what I chose. Chocolate tasted good enough.

"Got it?" asked Emmett eagerly, making me turn. His arms were full- he had three buckets of popcorn in his arms, and in his hands was a tray- three disposable cups with straws poking out the top sitting in it.

"Grab me a Snickers, Boo?" he asked me, an almost pleading tone in his voice. I smiled at him and moved back to the display, grabbing the one I knew read "Snickers".

"Great," he said, handing Rosalie one of the popcorn buckets. He leaned down and passed one to me as well, making me smile.

"Thank you," I said softly, glancing into the large pile of yellow.

"You're welcome," he said easily, leading the way through the piles of people that had accumulated. I felt a little on edge, but focused on the large back in front of me, knowing that no one in their right minds would dare to cross Emmett.

He was just too big.

"Hey Swan!" I frowned and turned towards the sound, wondering why someone was shouting my last name through the theatre's lobby.

"Ah damn," said Emmett quietly, turning quickly. He handed the drinks to Rosalie, who frowned and took them in her hands, her eyes fixated on an approaching figure in the crowd.

"He's harmless, Bella," she said quickly, just as a boy came dashing out of the masses.

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy.

I shivered.

"Hey Mike," said Emmett warily.

"Dude, you won't believe who I'm here with. Jessica Stanley-" he stopped abruptly, glancing down at me.

"Hello there," he said in a low, husky tone making me frown.

"Hi." My voice squeaked unpleasantly, and he simply grinned.

"I'm Michael."

"Oh."

"Mike, don't," warned Emmett loudly, making this Mike-character backtrack.

"Two of them, Emmett?" he asked incredulously.

"You're fucking gross, you know that?" asked Emmett disgustedly, his face scowling and unhappy.

I didn't like this strange boy.

"What?" he asked defensively. "You've got Rosalie and now this one too. Jealous, Rose?"

"Ugh, get lost, Newton," snapped Rosalie, her voice even more venomous than it had been in the restaurant. "Bella's Emmett's sister."

"Another sister?" he asked gently, looking impressed. "Damn, man…"

"Goodbye, Mike," said Emmett curtly. "Come on, Boo."

"Can I call you?" asked Mike desperately, looking at me with his wide, blue eyes.

"No," said Emmett easily, his voice dark. "Go back to Jessica."

"But-"

Mike didn't have a chance to finish what he was saying before Emmett led me away, right towards the number 2 doors. He opened it and held it for Rose and I, letting us in before it closed behind us with a small click, leaving us in a much darker space than before.

"This way," said Emmett, leading me to the left. We emerged into a vast, cavernous room- much bigger than any room I'd ever spent much time in- with a giant, white screen on one end.

It was a giant television, and I stood, shocked and amazed.

"Come on, Bella," laughed Emmett. "We need to sit down."

I followed dumbly, watching as a little video clip played, telling people to turn off their cellular telephones. Emmett led me to one of the centre aisles, sitting me down between Rosalie and himself.

"This is the theatre," he said proudly.

"The movie theatre," Rose said quickly. "There are other theatres too, where people act out stage plays."

"It's a giant TV," I said, amazed.

"That it is," said Emmett, sighing happily as he leaned back. Rosalie handed me my cup of iced tea, and I put it into the cup holder on the seat in front of me, letting it sit. Emmett and Rosalie did the same, and before long, the theatre began to fill up.

I knew then why Rosalie and Emmett had sat on either side of me- they were keeping me away from the strangers who wanted to see the same movie as us.

Before I could so much as comment on our seating arrangements, the film began, and I was entranced.

The people were so big- they were so loud and so overwhelmingly detailed that I couldn't bring myself to look away. I munched on the snacks Emmett had gotten me, but I didn't dare peel my eyes away from the screen for even a moment- not even when I had to pee so badly I thought I would burst. Emmett glanced at me every so often, amused, but I couldn't care less.

The theatre was officially my favourite place to be.

I loved it.

When the movie was done, I felt a pang of sadness, knowing it was all over. As the people filed out, Emmett stood and stretched, obviously not nearly as excited as I was.

"Did you like it?" he asked, making me nod quickly.

"It was…" I said, at a loss for words. He laughed.

"Great, but I've really got to piss," he said crassly, making me frown.

"Me too."

He laughed again.

"Come on," he said. "Bathrooms are this way."

"I'll show you," said Rosalie, knowing that Emmett wasn't allowed in the girls' room. I followed the two of them to the back, where I entered the room with a picture of a woman on the door. The toilets were all arranged in little rows and stalls, reminding me of the communal bathroom I often used in the Institute.

Needless to say, I finished up quickly, so as not to trigger any unwanted memories, and because I didn't want to keep Rosalie waiting.

When I was done, Rosalie led me out of the bathroom just as Emmett exited his own bathroom, still smiling at me.

"I'm glad you came, Boo," he said gently, kissing the top of my head as he pulled me into a hug. I felt his warmth radiating through my clothing as he held me, making me feel very safe.

"I had fun," I admitted softly, patting his large back lightly as he let me go. Rosalie watched the two of us closely from the sidelines, a small smile playing around her lips.

"Let's go home," she said. "I'm sure Alice is ready to quiz you about every detail."

I grimaced, making her laugh her lovely, gentle laugh as we walked towards the doors.

ooOoo

When I woke up the next morning, I felt very refreshed and well-rested.

It came as such a shock.

"Hi puppy," I cooed affectionately, patting Jake's sleeping head next to me. The poor puppy had fallen asleep almost as soon as I'd laid down in my bed- tired out from the excitement of having me return home.

Jake had been very much alarmed when I left, and didn't return until hours later. I think it upset him. When he heard my voice, he cracked his eyes open, watching me blearily. His tail thumped rhythmically against the bed as he rolled from his side to his belly, looking up eagerly.

"Good morning."

He gave my hand a little doggy kiss before he stood up, stretching out his back and leaping off the bed.

He waited impatiently by the door, more than ready to be let out.

"Hold on," I soothed, moving to my desk to collect my clothing for the day that Alice had laid out for me last night. I moved quickly, stripping off the pyjamas and putting on the clothing, not focusing too much on the fact that Jake was watching.

He was only dog, after all.

When I was done, I managed to throw my hair back into a messy pony-tail, having learned something these past weeks with Alice, who was trying her hardest to teach me how to take care of my own cosmetic and aesthetic needs.

"Come on, puppy," I crooned happily, squatting down to pat his head and kiss his nose lightly before I opened the door, letting him out first.

He took off down the stairs happily, his tail sashaying back and forth as he went. I followed him closely, arriving in the kitchen just as he did, finding Esme and Edward seated at the table, deep in conversation.

"Good morning, sweetheart," said Esme kindly, breaking away from Edward's conversation for a moment before she returned.

"I don't think it's a good idea," she argued.

"Emmett, Jasper and I used to go all the time," defended Edward, making me frown.

I knew exactly what he was fighting for, and I suddenly felt very out of place.

"That was before you got lost," she said bluntly. "I don't want to risk letting the two of you get lost again without the dog to lead you back, and you know how I'll worry-"

"I'll take her down to Newton's for some new gear and I'll get a GPS," he bargained. "No maps."

"I don't know…" she said, shaking her head. She watched Edward with such love and compassion that it almost hurt to see them arguing.

"Bella, what do you think?" she asked suddenly. I froze, taken aback by her questioning.

"Um…" I said stupidly, feeling very out of place.

"Would you want to find that meadow again?" asked Edward gently, looking pleading and hopeful.

"Yeah," I admitted. "It was pretty." Esme sighed heavily, looking morose.

"I don't want you two getting hurt again," she said sadly. Edward frowned deeply.

"What do you mean, 'again'?" he asked. "No one was hurt last time."

"Bella's pants were torn to bits and you had a scraped cheek," she accused. "I don't care how badly you were hurt…"

"Mom, come on," he coaxed. "Emmett, Jazz and I went hiking when we were younger."

"I know," she said sadly.

"Please?" he asked, looking at me for support. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I focused on the granite countertop instead of Esme's breaking resolve.

"You promise me you'll get electronic GPS systems and not grid maps?" she asked carefully, sighing.

"Of course," said Edward easily. "Only the best."

"You two be very careful," she whispered sadly, looking up at me with her kind blue eyes. "Please, be careful."

"We will be," said Edward excitedly. "We'll bring phones and the GPS, and food and water."

"Good."

"When do you want to go, Bella?" asked Edward excitedly. His mossy eyes were lit up in eager excitement as he watched me, looking younger than I'd ever seen him look.

"Whenever," I said softly, shrugging.

"Great," he said. "Eat something and then we'll go down to Newton's Outfitters."

"Today?" I asked, taken aback. He frowned briefly, looking a little subdued.

"Too soon?" he asked.

"No!" I said quickly, not wanting him to think I was upset. "I'm just surprised."

"Oh," he said, relieved. "I'm glad."

"What do you want to eat today, Bella?" asked Esme gently, joining Edward and myself in the main part of the kitchen instead of the dining area.

"I don't know," I said quietly, still uncomfortable requesting food from her in her own house.

"We have eggs, cereal, toast, bagels-"

"Toast is fine," I said, making her smile.

"Do you want to try making it this time?" she asked, smiling happily.

"Okay," I said. She nodded, procuring the toaster, bread and butter for my usage, setting it all down on the countertop. She watched as I plugged it in, feeling very self-sufficient. I placed the bread in the slots and turned the dial down to five- not eight, where Emmett always left it- and pushed the bread down, watching the red elements heat up inside the console.

I waited.

"You absolutely must be careful in those woods," said Esme suddenly, coming closer to me.

"Okay," I said quickly.

"Don't ever leave Edward, and don't ever tread anywhere the GPS can't pick up."

"Alright."

"I love you," she whispered gently, hugging me from behind and placing a small kiss on my hair. I blushed bright red, suppressing a grin.

It made me giddy when Esme said things like that to me.

"Love you too," I stammered, making her smile widen.

"Glad to hear it," she whispered.

My toast popped.

"There's your breakfast," said Esme gently letting me go retrieve the newly toasted bread. I found a small plate in the cabinet above me and took it down as well, taking the bread out by the edge so I didn't burn myself. The toast fell to the plate and I opened the butter dish, scooping out a decent amount to spread over both pieces.

It tasted fine, and I was proud of my work. After testing the first bite, I tossed the crumbs away from the crumb tray in the toaster and immediately put the appliance back in the cabinet Esme had taken it from, making sure I didn't leave any mess for her to clean up on the counter.

"Good job," she praised, standing next to me as I ate at the counter, suddenly very excited to get eating over with and go out with Edward to the store.

"Thanks," I stammered, trying as hard as I could to eat quickly, but not rudely. She watched me carefully, smiling as I finished off my plate, setting it down in the sink.

Esme wouldn't let me wash the dish… I'd learned that much.

"Edward's waiting," she told me softly, glancing towards the living room. "Have fun shopping."

"Thanks Esme," I said gently, making her smile.

I found Edward in the foyer, waiting for me with his bright, eager, crooked grin.

"Hi," I said quietly, feeling suddenly very self-conscious. He held out his hand for me and after a moment of contemplation, I took it gently, feeling the strange warmth.

Edward was helpful, not hurtful.

"Shoes," he reminded me before I stepped outside without them, as I'd done during my last personal encounter with him. I slipped on a pair of white shoes before we stepped outside, walking towards the garage. There, he led me towards a silver car parked near the front, gleaming and shiny, even in the dark. He made my cheeks darken again when he held the passenger side door open for me, closing it once I was settled into the seat.

This seatbelt was nothing like Emmett's straps, and I was able to buckle myself in.

"We'll be pretty quick," said Edward honestly as he slid inside, starting up his car.

It purred quietly, and I shivered.

"Do you know the Newtons?" he asked curiously, making me frown.

Newton.

"I don't think-" I started, right before I gasped. The round face of the blonde haired, blue eyed boy in the movie theatre popped into my head, and I frowned.

"Bella?" he asked nervously, making me clear my throat.

"I met one last night," I admitted. "At the theatre."

"Of course you did," he muttered angrily, making me frown. "Mike?" he guessed.

"Yeah."

"He's the biggest…" he trailed off, obviously having nothing more than unflattering profanities to describe Michael Newton's personality.

"Jerk?" I quipped, shocking myself with the extent of my mild insult.

He laughed heartily.

"That's one way of putting it," he admitted. "He's irritating."

"He asked if he could call me," I remembered, frowning.

"What did you tell him?" asked Edward seriously, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Emmett told him no."

"Good." Edward sounded very convicted and almost relieved.

"Is he that bad?" I asked doubtfully. Sure, I didn't like him, but Edward seemed to feel much more strongly than simple dislike.

"He's that bad," he confirmed, smiling despite himself. "He treats women very poorly."

"Oh."

A simple, easy silence fell between us as he pulled into a parking lot with a store in the middle of it. He found a spot right outside the doors and parked there, glancing over at me.

"Let's hope Mike's not working today," he said softly, offering me another crooked grin.

"Is this his store?" I asked, making the correlation between "Newton" and "Newton's Outfitters".

"His parents own it," said Edward. "He works in it."

"Oh."

Edward stepped out of the car and I followed closely behind, letting him lead me towards the doors of the store. He held it open for me, letting me walk inside first before he followed behind, letting the door close and the bell ring.

It smelled like boots.

"This way," said Edward gently, leading me further into the store, between the aisles. There was all sorts of gear on the shelves, from first aid kits and pocket knives to tents and emergency rafts. Edward moved down to the shoe section, stopping in front of the women's hiking boots.

"Here," he said, pointing out the shelves. "What size shoe are you?" he asked.

"I don't know," I admitted, glancing down at my white sneakers. "Alice got me these." He chuckled and invited me to sit on the bench.

I was very shocked when he crouched down and untied my shoe, sliding it off gently.

"Six," he said easily, glancing at the tongue of the shoe. I blushed as he slipped off my other shoe, leaving me in my sock feet in the middle of Newton's Outfitters.

"Hello there!" cried a chipper, cheery voice from my side. I jumped and looked over, seeing a tall, blonde woman watching Edward and I from the sidelines.

"Hello Mrs. Newton," said Edward easily, offering her a small nod.

"Can I help you with anything?" she asked eagerly, watching me more than Edward.

"Not right now," said Edward confidently. "We're just here for some hiking boots for Bella, a handheld GPS and two hiking packs."

"Alright, well we have a sale on these," she said, gesturing to a pair of dark brown boots with light brown soles. "They're 15% off."

"Thank you," said Edward, grabbing a pair on the "6" shelf and handing them to me. I got them on easily, feeling the snug, comfortable fit before I stood.

"They're good," I said quickly, not liking Michael Newton's mother staring at me.

"You're sure?" asked Edward seriously. "If they don't fit right, you'll get blisters."

"They're comfy."

"Good," he said, relieved at how easy that process was. "We'll grab some warm socks on the way out."

"Hiking packs?" asked Mrs. Newton easily, watching me intently.

"Yes ma'am," said Edward politely. "We'll be out most of the day."

Mrs. Newton showed us around her store, pointing out various things that I had no idea how to use but that Edward seemed excited about. In the end, he ended up with one pair of hiking boots, two large backpacks, two first aid kits, packaged food and bottled water, extra socks, warm, reflective jackets, as well as gloves and hats, in case we got cold.

The rest, he said, we had at home.

"Thank you, Mrs. Newton," said Edward graciously, taking the four bags of merchandise from her counter.

"Thanks," I said quickly.

"Anytime, dears," she said smiling at me speculatively. Edward looked unamused by her staring and as he led me out, he felt tense.

"The entire town of Forks will know by dinnertime that Edward Cullen and Bella Swan went shopping for boots at Newton's," he said disgustedly.

I stared.

"The whole town?" I squeaked. "How?"

"That woman is the biggest gossip in the town," he explained. "She talks about everyone."

"Oh."

I knew there was something about her that I didn't like.

Edward opened my door for me and let me into the car, closing the door behind me. I watched through the back window as he opened the trunk and placed the bags inside, closing it loudly behind him. He slid into the driver's seat, turning the key easily and pulling out of the lot.

By the time we'd gotten back to the house, gotten dressed for our trip, programmed the GPS and approved our plans with Esme, it was two hours later.

"You two be careful," said Esme again, looking nervous and a little anxious.

"I have my phone, and Emmett's lending Bella his," he said soothingly, making her nod.

"GPS?" she asked, glancing at Edward for reassurance. He showed her the handheld device, programmed and ready.

"Alright," she said wearily. "You two have fun, and for goodness' sake, answer my calls."

"We will," assured Edward, giving her a gentle hug as she kissed his cheek.

"Bye," I said, waving briefly as Edward let her go. She frowned, having none of that, and hugged me too, kissing my cheek as well.

"Goodbye, dear."

Edward and I stepped outside into the damp air, glancing around. The GPS was on and running, the extra batteries packed safely away in Edward's pack, my shoes were tied tight and snug and my jacket was fastened, leaving me ready to face whatever it was the forest had to offer.

"Let's go," he said eagerly, taking my hand in his free one as soon as we were on the grass.

Esme beamed from her place at the door, and I felt my face redden.

"You blush an awful lot," noted Edward mischievously, watching my cheeks amusedly.

The colour deepened, and I looked away. He chuckled indulgently before he glanced at his GPS, pressing a button.

"This will track us, so we'll know where we've already been," he explained. "It should help us find it much faster."

"Will we find it today?" I asked curiously.

"We might," he admitted. "I don't know how far into the trees we went though, so it might take us a few tries."

"Oh." I was disappointed, and it showed. He laughed again, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

His arms were much different than Emmett's or Alice's.

"Don't worry," he said. "If we don't find it today, we'll find it another time. Hiking is fun regardless."

"Yeah," I said gently, smiling again.

The two of us moved together, hand in hand in silence as we moved through the trees, Edward's eyes glued on the GPS so as not to lose our path. I watched it too, but had no idea what the symbols and arrows meant.

The arrow that represented us was travelling in the middle of the N and the W.

"It means we're travelling northwest," said Edward easily, when I asked him about it. "We're headed towards the Pacific Ocean."

"We're going to an ocean?" I asked, fearful.

"Not into it," he clarified. "Just towards it."

"Good," I said, relieved. "I don't want to go for a swim."

He burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the trees.

"No worries there."

I smiled as well, bowing my head as we moved.

The two of us travelled together for about an hour, before we began to get tired. Edward sighed heavily and sat down on a fallen tree, glancing around.

"We're about four miles in," he said, glancing around.

It looked all the same to me.

"Oh."

"About from our house to Newton's, two times."

"Wow," I said, not having known that we'd gone so far.

"The GPS helps keep us straight," he said gently. "It helps keep us on track." I nodded in agreement.

"Sit," he offered, patting the log space beside him. I plopped myself down, ignoring the squishing sound of moss under the waterproof bottom of my coat. He produced two water bottles, offering one to me as he took a long drink from the other, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

"Thanks," I said, sipping it carefully. He watched me interestedly, looking intrigued.

"What?" I asked carefully, not knowing exactly what to make of him. He smiled and shrugged.

"Nothing."

I watched him in return, noting how his mouth continued to move- curving up, curving down, tensing… it moved all sorts of ways, and it fascinated me.

"How are you liking Forks so far?" he asked gently, watching me with his smouldering eyes.

"It's nice," I admitted, for once, using that phrase in a way I knew was accurate. "Nicer than Phoenix," I whispered.

He nodded, looking a little hesitant.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I said, watching him closely. He hesitated for a short moment before glancing up carefully.

"You don't have to answer," he assured me.

"Okay."

"I don't want to push you-"

"Don't worry about it," I said easily. "You can ask."

I knew exactly what he was going to ask about, and I could only hope I'd be able to answer.

"What the hell went on in there?" he asked in a rush, looking almost as if he were deflating.

"When?" I asked, making him frown.

"Whenever," he said confusedly. "During the day."

"I woke up," I began, making him stare intently.

"Where did you sleep?"

"In the ward, with the others. Betty, Gino… all of them," I explained. "When we were all awake, we'd go to the dining hall for breakfast. We ate oatmeal and apples."

"That's it?"

"For breakfast, yeah," I admitted, shocked at how easy this was to remember.

But then again, we hadn't hit anything that terrible yet.

"Okay," he said, falling silent to let me continue.

"After breakfast, we had sessions," I said darkly. "We went to the circle room and sat together while the Doctor asked questions."

"You don't have to continue, if you don't want to-" he started, right before I cut him off.

"He asked a lot of questions," I continued. "He asked how we felt, whether we were sick, whether we had a good night, if we slept well, all sorts of things."

"It's okay to stop," said Edward again. "Don't answer if you don't want to."

"I know," I said. "I want to."

I did want to… I wanted Edward Cullen to know about the terrible Doctor and his lackeys in Phoenix. I wanted him to know why I was so hesitant.

I wanted him to like me, and how could he if he had no idea why I behaved so badly? How could he associate himself with someone he thought was stupid by choice?

No, he had to know.

"We'd all answer him and he'd write down his answers on his clipboard," I continued. "He liked to write on that board.

"Then, when we were done there, he'd leave us alone with the orderlies to clean up and get dressed. But getting dressed there isn't like getting dressed with Alice. We just changed into white clothes- scrubs, like Carlisle wears to work. We were white, they were blue.

"Laurent, Felix and Vicky watched us while the Doctor got ready, and then he'd call us in one by one into his office to examine us. He used his stethoscope and his blood pressure machine to check us, then he'd look in my eyes with a light and make me stand on his scale."

Edward took my hand gently, squeezing encouragingly.

"After he was done it was lunch, and sometimes we got food then too."

"You didn't eat lunch?" he asked, confused.

"Not all the time," I said. "Sometimes. It depended on the medicine."

"Okay."

"After lunch, Vicky took me to the bathroom for my bath. She washed my hair for me and brushed it- but she was meaner than Alice is- and then she brought me back so she could help Betty and the other girls. Betty hated Vicky, and they always yelled at each other. Betty was a little crazy, though.

"Then the doctor had another session. He gave us medicine before and it hurt, and he _made_ me take it, I swear, he _made_ me!" I cried, suddenly fearful that he'd be mad.

I'd taken medicine that wasn't meant for me- that was bad for me, that could have made me sick and that Danielle had been so mad about-

"It's okay," he said quickly, wrapping his arms around me. I pressed my face to his shoulder, inhaling the Edward-y smell on him.

Everyone had a smell, I decided. I liked Edward's.

"It wasn't your fault," he assured me. "Nothing was."

"They hurt," I continued, speaking into his shoulder. "He'd give pills and needles- or Felix would give me a needle- and he'd make us wait until it worked before he wrote it down. He made movies."

"Videos?" asked Edward, sounding disgusted. "Of him forcing illicit drugs onto you?"

"Yes," I said in a whisper. "He said it was evidence."

"Of what?" he demanded, his hold gentle, but firm, and his voice upset.

"Of its success. He said they worked, and they didn't."

"It wasn't your fault," said Edward again, patting my back kindly.

"He made me take them, and then when they wore off, he'd send me to my solitary cell to be sick in there. Felix came in sometimes to change the bucket or make sure I wasn't too sick… when I get too sick, he takes me into his office for his watching."

"Took, Bella," said Edward quietly. "He took you, he doesn't take you. Don't talk in the present tense."

I smiled despite myself, happy to have someone else affirm the Doctor's cessation.

"When he watched, he was mean," I continued. "He poked and pulled at me and gave me needles. He made me wake up, he made me sleep, he made me cough, he made me wheeze, he made me-"

"He made you wheeze?" asked Edward worriedly.

"Sometimes," I admitted. "He was testing."

"He's disgusting," he said angrily.

I continued on.

"If he didn't need to watch me, he'd lock the solitary door and leave me there, or he'd take me back to the ward to sleep. Sometimes, Felix made me wash dishes in the kitchen to help when Vicky was sick- she was always sick- and I broke a plate once."

I shuddered stopping there.

"Felix got mad at me and he made me go to my solitary room and then he…"

I didn't know how to describe it.

"It's okay," he soothed sadly, his voice thick with emotion. "It's okay."

"He hurt me," I said pitifully. "And sometimes the Doctor burned with his stun gun."

"Okay," said Edward gently. "Are you okay?"

It seemed like a funny question after he'd already told me everything was okay.

"Yes," I said gently. "I'm okay."

I think. A tear spilled over and I wiped it angrily. I didn't want him to think I was a baby.

"Good," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked, confused. He sighed softly, watching me closely.

"For that happening. It should have never happened."

"Oh."

"_'Oh' _for sure," he said wryly.

We fell into a tense silence for a moment, before he released me, letting me sit up on my own.

I almost missed the warmth, since the woods were much colder when idle than when you were hiking around.

"Want to head back?" he asked. "I think we need to head a little further east next time."

"Sure," I said, feeling very tired.

I hadn't even noticed that it had started to rain.

"Come on," he said, leading me forward with his hand in mine, leading me forward- backtracking where we'd already walked. "we'll be at the house in less than an hour."

I nodded, walking with him as the rain increased above us, collecting in the pine needles and dropping down in small puddles instead of drops.

About fifteen minutes after we'd started, I got a load of water on my head and Edward on his right shoulder. He yelped and jerked away as I gasped, wiping the moisture out of my eyes.

"Shit, are you okay?" he asked, looking on the verge of laughter. I burst into giggles as the rain water soaked down through the jacket, right into my shirt.

"Yeah," I admitted, "but now I'm all wet."

He frowned in sympathy, drawing me close again.

"Can you jog?" he asked. "I don't want us getting sick."

I nodded, and he set off at a moderate pace, letting me jog to keep up. It took a lot of focus not to fall onto the wet, squishy ground, but I managed it, and twenty minutes later, we were back in the yard.

Edward was moderately uncomfortable, but I was frozen.

"Come on inside," he urged, ushering me towards the door. Esme opened it up and I could visibly see the relief on her face as she took us in, our safety reassured once more.

"We got caught under a falling puddle," I explained boldly, my teeth chattering all the while.

"Indeed you did," she said, her eye wide and shocked as she let us through the door. Edward and I stripped off our wet clothing at the door so as not to track water through her home, dropping it on the front porch.

It could wait until tomorrow. My shirt was soaked right through to the bottom, my hair dripping on the rug under my feet. I slipped my muddy boots off of my feet, tossing them next to Edward's right outside the door.

My socks were wet too.

I shivered heavily as I stood in the entryway, watching as Esme's eyes raked me over.

"Go warm up," she instructed, watching as her son and I interacted silently. He jerked his head in the direction of the stairs, letting me go up to the third floor first. I passed Emmett on the way, who looked at me and my shivers in concern.

"Whoa, Boo," he said, stopping to stare. "Swim much?"

"I got rained on," I explained through my tremors. "It was cold."

"No shit," he said lowly, looking incredulous. "Did you have a coat on?"

"It went right on my head and dripped down the neck hole," I explained. "Wrong place at the wrong time."

"That's for sure."

He let me pass and I moved to my bathroom easily, finding Jake lounging on the bathmat.

"Hi Jakey," I said affectionately, patting his head shakily. He moved as I closed the door, knowing he'd never leave now that he'd found me again, and started the water in the tub just as Alice had taught me, checking to make sure it wasn't too hot. I stripped the soaked clothes off and left them on the floor as I stepped into the steaming tub, letting the warmth seep through me as I sunk down to the bottom.

Jake stood up and rested his head on the edge of the tub and I petted him carefully, making him groan happily as I reached his ears.

"Good puppy," I praised, making him snuffle my hand, kissing it.

To my dismay, he decided that bathwater was tasty and insisted on licking up the length of my arm, lathering it in slobber.

"No," I scolded gently. "That's gross."

He continued.

"Jake, down," I ordered, forcing him off of my tub and back down to the mat, where he laid down with a loud huff.

I sat in the warm bathwater, watching as my shivering sent ripples throughout the entire tub until it ran cool, forcing me to wash quickly and get out before I was cold again. When I was dressed in a set of warm pyjamas, I felt very tired.

Walking that length had really taken a lot out of me, and I was suddenly exhausted.

"Come on, puppy," I said, nudging Jake with my foot to get him to follow. He lumbered after me as I moved to my bed, grabbing the remote control from my desk before I got there. I sat down on the thick comforter, using my feet to slide my way under it, resting on my pillow.

My new favourite show on the Home and Garden Network, _Holmes on Homes _was on, and almost as soon as he began to build that porch, I felt my eyes droop, dragging me into a dead sleep.

**A/N: There's the long one! There'll be more later on, but for now, let me know what you think of this chapter. I apologize for any formatting errors... the document editor on the site (which I use for my final editing session right before posting) always does strange things to my chapters... it underlined all the italicized words, bolded random ones... it was a formatting nightmare. Let me know if you catch something I missed so I can go back and fix it up!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 13**

**A/N: Here we go with chapter 13... I have no idea why there were two extra chapter alerts sent out for chapter 12... I got them too. SO, to keep you all from the disappointment of not getting a new chapter, I've updated a day early (I planned on updating tomorrow morning). Enjoy!**

EsPOV

Having my two youngest home safe was a relief that was almost indescribable. The feeling of being absolutely certain of the safety of one's children is a relief beyond compare- it was unspeakably encouraging to know that they were both warming up in their respective bathrooms, clean, warm and dry.

"Damn, Bella's soaked," said Emmett amusedly, entering the kitchen with his usual ravenous appetite.

"I'm just glad they're home," I admitted, making him smile.

"They're old enough to hike," he reasoned. "You let me take Eddie when he was only fourteen."

"I know that," I said anxiously, knowing that Emmett had been the same age Edward was now when he first took his younger siblings out into the forest with him. I'd worried back then too.

"Boo's stronger than she looks," he assured me.

I nodded, taking up my knife and resuming the dinner preparations. Homemade soup and cold cuts was what was on the menu tonight, and this vegetable chopping was more tedious than my rambunctious, boisterous son would ever know.

"Soup?" he guessed excitedly, seeing the chopped chicken and celery already prepared. The broth bubbled on the stove, awaiting its additives as I continued with the carrots.

"Yes, and cold cuts," I informed him.

His face lit up, and I knew in that moment that every tedious carrot was worth it.

"Cool," he said easily, snatching one of the round bites of orange legume before I could stop him.

"Emmett," I scolded. "Don't grab around my knife. Just ask." I handed him a chunk of raw carrot to munch on.

My eldest would eat anything and everything you put in front of him.

"Thanks mom," he said easily, biting off a large chunk.

I resisted the strong urge to warn him of the choking hazard he was presenting himself with.

When the carrots were complete, I cut up a few potatoes as well, adding the entire medley to the broth. I watched as it simmered and bubbled pleasantly, emitting a pleasantly familiar odour that permeated the entire kitchen. Emmett seated himself on a barstool at the island counter, waiting patiently for dinner to be ready.

"Hey mom," said Edward, coming into the kitchen with clean, warm clothes instead of his wet ones. I smiled at him and invited him to sit beside his brother, glancing around for Bella.

She always took a little longer than the rest of us to bathe, and I knew she enjoyed the feeling of warm water on her. Lord only knew how many pleasant baths she'd had in that dreaded hospital. Instead of Bella, Rosalie came around the corner, peeking inside.

"Soup?" she asked, her voice reminding me entirely of her partner's.

"Yes, soup," I said, amused. "Can you smell it?"

"All the way upstairs," she confirmed. "Now I'm hungry."

"Now you can sympathize. I'm _always _hungry, babe," Emmett interjected, watching as she rolled her eyes.

"You're a bottomless pit," she accused. "Where are your sisters?"

"Ali's somewhere and Bella's upstairs washing off," he said indifferently. "She got rained on."

"Did she have fun?" she asked caringly, glancing at Edward for answers.

"I think so," he admitted hesitantly. "She didn't say she _didn't…"_

"I'm sure it was nice for her to get outside a little," I admitted, knowing very well that if she was in any way biologically related to Emmett and Alice, she had to have some sort of inherent instinct to venture out of doors.

"Boo used to _love _playing outside," said Emmett quietly. "She had no coordination, but she still kept at it."

"She's determined," I said fondly.

"She spoke to me today," said Edward gently.

"That's nice, dear," I said, glad that Bella might have found herself a friend in Edward.

"No, it really wasn't," he said bluntly, making me frown.

"Why not?" I asked. Had sweet-tempered, timid Bella finally lost her cool?

"She told me things," he said disgustedly.

"What things?" asked Emmett.

"About that hospital in Phoenix," he admitted, making me frown.

"She spoke to you about it?"

"Yes," he admitted, frowning.

"What did she say?" boomed Emmett, making Edward frown.

"It's not my story, Emmett," he said gently. Emmett looked ready to protest, but one silencing look from Rosalie kept him quiet.

Rose knew the value of trust and she knew that Bella would divulge more details to her brother when she was ready.

"Let her come to you. Don't you force her into it," she warned.

"I won't," he said grudgingly, his love for his sister superseding his thirst for knowledge.

"It was rough," continued Edward. "She thought I'd be angry with her."

"You weren't, were you?" asked Emmett dangerously. "I swear, Edward, if she opened up to you and you lost your temper-"

"Relax," said Edward exasperatedly. "I didn't lose my temper."

"Good," he said gruffly. "If you had, I might have broken that pretty little face of yours."

"Emmett Charles!" I gasped, scandalized. He looked rightfully abashed as I glared, spoon still in hand.

"Sorry mom."

"You'd better be," I warned darkly. "We don't break _any_ faces around here, young man."

It felt like I was speaking to Emmett the ten year old, not the twenty year old.

"I think she just wanted to get it all out," he admitted. "I asked her a question, and she just dove right in-"

"What did you ask her?" boomed Emmett indignantly.

"Nothing of consequence," snapped Edward, finally losing his temper with his brother.

"Edward…" he warned.

"I asked her what happened," he admitted in his defensive, unhappy tone. "She told me a bit and I told her it was enough, but she just kept going."

"You better not have upset her," he warned. "If you did, I'll-"

"That is quite enough!" I snipped quickly, turning to my quarrelsome boys. "Emmett, if Edward wants to ask Bella questions, he's within his rights."

Emmett fell into a stony silence, and I had a sneaking suspicion that this discussion would be continued away from my sensitive ears.

"When your father gets home, you can explain to him," I said, looking at Edward. "He has to keep up on these things."

"For what?" complained Edward. "She's not a bug under a microscope."

"I never said she was," I said easily. "The officials in Phoenix need to be kept up to date on any new information."

"I'm not telling all her secrets," snapped Edward, running his hands through his hair. "That's not right."

"I'm not asking you to," I said patiently. "We just need to know if she divulged anything we didn't already know."

"She didn't," he said. "Hearing it from her was just hard, that's all."

"She didn't explain anything new?" I clarified.

"She explained how her average day went," he said. "She told me what she did when she woke up, and how they treated her. She told me about that Felix, too."

Emmett let out a low noise that sounded startlingly similar to a growl.

"What else did he do?" he demanded lowly.

"Nothing," said Edward quickly. "Nothing you don't already know."

"Good."

Emmett, now foul-tempered and unhappy, fell into a brooding silence. Rosalie patted his back kindly as I stirred the pot once more.

"Where is she?" I asked quietly, glancing at the stairs.

Surely her bath should be done by now?

"I'll check on her," volunteered Emmett quickly, glancing at me sadly before he exited the room and made his way loudly up the stairs.

"I hope she's alright," I said, worrying once again. Rosalie and Edward shared a small glance before they each focused on the countertop.

"It's hard for him, you know," she said suddenly, looking at her younger brother.

"What?"

"Emmett," she clarified. "It's hard for him to see her so vulnerable."

"I would imagine," said Edward gently.

"He doesn't mean to be rude."

"I know."

"He just wants her safe," she said sadly. "He wants to protect her, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to make her happy, even if it means going through you first."

Edward nodded and I sighed, knowing very well that Emmett's sisters would always be his top priority. Rosalie came in at a close second, the rest of us coming in third.

If forced to choose between his youngest brother and his youngest sister, I was almost positive that Emmett would always choose his sister.

It was upsetting to know that Emmett was so desperate to keep her safe that he'd turn on his own brother.

"He loves her," she said simply, turning away from Edward's lightly frowning face.

"I know," he said, his voice almost too quiet to hear. I watched as my youngest son ran his hand through his hair once more- a trait he'd picked up from my husband at a young age- and sighed, slouching slightly as he tapped his finger on the granite countertop.

"Hello family!" chirped Alice happily, coming into the kitchen as well. Oblivious to the slight tension and melancholy mood, she perched herself down on the stool between her siblings, looking excited.

"Soup smells good," she praised, glancing through the glass lid of the pot. Jasper, having sauntered in quietly behind her, sat down as well, in Emmett's vacated spot.

"As soon as your father gets home, I'll set the table," I promised. Alice nodded cheerfully as Emmett's footsteps were heard again on the stairs, returning from his trip upstairs.

"She's sleeping," he said gently, his mood slightly uplifted. "She's clean, at least."

"Sleeping already?" I asked, slightly shocked. "How far did you guys walk today?"

"A few miles," said Edward, shrugging. "Not too far."

"She's out like a light," said Emmett affectionately. "She was watching one of those home construction shows."

"HGTV," said Alice happily, glad that her tastes were rubbing off on Bella somehow. Alice adored interior design programs, just like I did.

"Do you think she'll want dinner?" I asked carefully, glancing at my oldest son for guidance. He knew his sister fairly well, and I trusted his judgement.

"I wouldn't wake her," he said quickly. "I'll make her a bowl later and put it in the fridge for her."

I smiled at his concern.

"Alright then," I said. I reached into my cabinet and produced a total of seven soup bowls, handing them to Rosalie, who was the closest to me.

"Set these down, please?" I asked, making her nod as she took them into the dining room. Emmett- the strongest of my kids- took the large pot of soup and carried it in after his girlfriend, placing it on the potholders I'd set down.

"Thank you," I said, watching as the two of them returned, just as the front door opened.

"Smells good!" called Carlisle, having smelled the simmering soup from the entryway. He peeked into the kitchen and gave me a peck on the cheek before he smiled at me, looking interested.

"I love your soup," he said affectionately. Edward looked away politely as he kissed me properly- on the lips- something that always made Edward a little awkward.

"I love you," I countered, making Emmett snicker.

"You two make my teeth hurt," he chimed in, making Carlisle snicker.

"That's what we aim for," he teased, kissing me chastely yet again for Emmett's benefit. He made a gagging noise and I swatted him with my tea towel, earning me a surrendering hands up.

"So violent, mom," he teased, grinning widely.

"Go eat you dinner," I scolded, making him laugh as he loped into the dining room, where his siblings were already convened.

"I'll go change," said Carlisle gently, smiling at me as he left the room to go to our bathroom, where his jeans and shirt hung in place of his work scrubs.

ooOoo

"Mom?" a voice hissed next to me, making me frown sleepily.

"Mom!"

"Hm?" I groaned groggily, opening my eyes. My bedroom was dark and the curtains still drawn, my clock reading 5:42 in the morning.

Emmett stood next to my bed, bright-eyed and fidgety as he waited for me to wake up.

"What is it?" I whispered, not wanting to wake my sleeping husband. Shift work really took a lot out of him, and he needed his rest.

"Where's the Gravol?" he asked quietly.

"Why? Are you sick?" I demanded in a whisper, tossing my feet over the edge of the bed. He shook his head and lead the way out, stopping in the hallway to close my bedroom door.

Carlisle remained blissfully unaware of Emmett's interruption.

"Bella's throwing up," he said sadly, making me frown.

"Bella?" I asked confusedly.

"I heard her about half an hour ago," he explained. "I wasn't really sleeping yet…"

"Emmett," I scolded. "You_ know_ you need to sleep at night if you're thinking about going off to school-"

"I know, but at least I heard her!" he defended. "Do we have any in the house?" he asked, returning to his original point.

"Yes, it's downstairs," I said gently. "On the top shelf of the medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom."

"Thanks mom," he said earnestly, moving past me to the lower levels of our home while I made my way to the third floor, unhappily flustered and disoriented. I found Bella's bedroom door ajar and all the lights were off, except for the one streaming out from her washroom.

"Bella?" I called lowly, not wanting to wake everyone else from their slumber. I heard a terrible retching noise from the washroom and made my way inside, finding a sad sight once I got there.

Bella was hunched over her toilet, pale and clammy as Jake rested anxiously by the bathtub. Her body heaved with sickness and I immediately made my way over, feeling for her. Tears fell one by one down her cheeks as her stomach contracted painfully, and mother mode immediately took over.

"You're alright," I said gently, patting her back and holding her hair for her. As soon as her hand was relieved of its burden, she clutched the side of her toilet and heaved again, making me frown sadly.

"Emmett's gone to get you something," I said, hoping she wouldn't panic over the pill and make herself worse. Bella had progressed beautifully since arriving at our home, but she still had her moments. Her vomiting spell finished for the moment and she reached up, flushing quickly before she wiped her mouth on a piece of toilet paper and slumped down to the cold tile floor.

"Bella?" I asked worriedly, making her open her glassy eyes and stare at me.

"Esme," she said quietly, sitting herself up with difficulty. I reached over and grabbed an elastic, pulling her hair back in a loose bun, lest she be sick again.

"Are you alright?" I asked, making her shrug as another tear fell. She watched me with worried eyes, obviously uncomfortable sharing her predicament with me.

How I wished she'd trust me.

"I feel sick," she whispered hoarsely, her voice betraying her sickness.

It was raspy and very rough, making me wince for her. It must have hurt her to speak.

"Alright, sweetheart," I cooed easily, making her frown as another tear leaked out. Her cheeks were flushed lightly- not thanks to the delightful blushing awkwardness I'd grown to love but because of a fever- and it was making me nervous.

"Come on with me," I encouraged, helping her off of the floor. Jake followed us into the main section of the bedroom, watching as I procured a bucket from under her bathroom sink and ran some cold water, filling the glass that rested next to her bed. I placed the bucket beside her bed for future episodes and handed her the water, letting her take a long, cool drink.

"Emmett's coming with some medication," I repeated. She shivered, and I knew exactly where her sickly mind had travelled.

"You're safe," I said quickly, recognizing the beginnings of a panic attack. "Emmett wouldn't hurt you."

She nodded to herself, clamping her eyes shut as another wave of nausea passed over her, luckily, foregoing the vomiting.

"Here," said Emmett, appearing in the bedroom with a small bottle of pink pills and a glass of water. Not caring that she already had one, he handed her one little pink pill and watched as she hesitated for a long moment, obviously distrustful of the strange tablet before she tossed it into her mouth and forced it down with a sip of water, the effort obviously hurting her tender throat.

"Lay down, Boo," said Emmett gently, pushing her shoulder down onto the pillows. Jake leapt up near her feet, curling into a ball as she laid on her side facing the bucket, her face pale once more and tearstained.

She threw up again, and Emmett let out a quiet curse.

The pills would be impossible.

"Go grab the thermometer out of dad's bag," I instructed him, making him nod as he left the room once again, obviously determined to be of as much help as he could. I laid my fingers on her sweaty forehead which was once again returning to the unpleasant red that came back after she vomited- I could almost feel the heat radiating off of her.

She cried again, turning her face into her pillows. I rubbed her back soothingly, knowing there wasn't much I could do to help.

She'd obviously gotten sick from her hiking trip yesterday, and most likely, she'd contracted some sort of stomach virus.

"Here," said Emmett quietly, returning with the digital thermometer in hand. I coaxed Bella into letting me place it under her tongue, waiting for the familiar beeping.

101.8

"You have a fever," I said gently, pushing the sweaty tendrils of hair from her forehead. "As soon as Carlisle wakes up, I want you to let him have a look at you."

She whimpered sadly and returned to her pillows, obviously exhausted and overwhelmed.

"He'll know how to make you feel better," said Emmett gently, making her cringe.

"He'll hurt…" she whimpered, her voice taking on the breathy quality it always had when she was panicking.

"Relax, Boo," said Emmett gently, reaching over and rubbing his large hand down her back. "Please calm down."

She shook in her bed and I knew then that we were on the verge of a complete meltdown.

"Carlisle loves you," I said honestly. "He'd never, ever hurt you."

"I'm tired, Esme!" she wailed in her raspy voice, her exhaustion and sickness overcoming her.

"I know, sweetheart," I soothed. "Sleep now. Carlisle won't be up for a while."

She shivered again, but the panic lost when faced with her intense fatigue.

"That's it," I soothed, watching as her eyes drooped dangerously, threatening to pull her under. Before too long, her eyes closed completely and all signs of tension left her, letting her sink into the pillows and relax fully.

"I'll stay up here with her," said Emmett quietly. "I'll make sure she's okay."

"Alright, dear," I said, kissing both of them before I left the room, more tired than I'd been before I slept through almost the entire night. I returned to my bed and laid down carefully, entrusting my eldest son to supervise his sister until I could be sure her condition wasn't too serious.

It was the classic motherly thing to do- to panic over little things, such as a stomach bug.

The minutes ticked by and I found myself unable to return to sleep, and before long, I was watching as Carlisle shifted sleepily, waking from his long, uninterrupted slumber.

"Good morning," he said breathily, turning to face me in the weak morning light. His hair glinted as he moved, and I smiled sadly.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly, glancing at the clock.

"Bella's sick," I said quietly, making him frown.

"Sick how?" he asked, going into medical mode in an instant.

"She was throwing up earlier. Emmett's with her now," I explained gently. "She has a fever."

"How high?"

"101.8." I recited, making him frown.

"Just what she needs," he said sarcastically, sounding exasperated and unhappy. "That poor girl's been through enough, don't you think?"

"Yes," I said easily, sighing heavily.

"I'll go check on her," he said gently. "She'll be alright. There's a stomach bug going around right now."

"Alright," I said, watching as he rose from our bed, moving towards our bathroom. He freshened up quickly before he put on his shirt, moving towards the door.

It was seven o' clock, and I decided to rise as well. I followed Carlisle out into the hallway and up the stairs, where I heard the soft voice of my son, comforting his sister.

"You're okay," he soothed gently as the unpleasant sound of vomiting hit my ears. I grimaced as Carlisle walked in, seeing Bella hunched over the bucket. Emmett held her hair, whispering gently as she finished, her face paler than it had been this morning.

"Here sweetheart," said Carlisle gently, brandishing a thermometer at her. Bella started a little at the sound of his voice but opened her mouth obligingly, letting the metal tip rest under her tongue. Carlisle pulled it out at the sound of the beep and clicked his tongue unhappily.

"Much too high for my liking," he said gently, taking her wrist and feeling her pulse. He timed it with his watch, his frown deepening all the while.

"Are you dizzy at all?" he asked, shining a penlight in her eyes. I hadn't even noticed him bringing it in.

"I don't know," Bella rasped. "I feel sick."

"Okay," he said gently. "Any tilting or spinning?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly. "It makes me sick."

"Are you warm?"

"No," she rasped, a tear falling. "I'm cold." Carlisle felt her hands, sighing sadly.

"Your fever's gone up," he said sadly. "I need you to drink some water for me, alright?"

Bella shivered, falling back against her brother for support. Emmett held her up carefully as Carlisle held out her glass of water for her. She took it from him determinedly, looking both unhappy and wary as she sipped.

"You finish that up," he ordered gently, somehow managing to make his command sound like a request. Bella sipped dutifully, only stopping when she claimed to feel sick again. Emmett let her go quickly as she hovered over her bucket, obviously unwell.

She kept it down, however, and Carlisle was encouraged.

"Try your hardest, alright?" he asked, feeling her forehead with his fingers again. She flinched but had no energy left in her to panic, resulting in Carlisle overpowering her panic.

"Okay." He cringed at the sound of her voice, not liking to hear any one of our kids in pain.

"If you get any warmer, I'll have to take you into the clinic," he warned gently, making Bella's breathing hitch.

"Please don't!" she begged, her eyes brightening and becoming more and more wild by the second.

"Relax," soothed Carlisle softly, unruffled by her sudden anxiety.

"No doctors, please no doctors-" she gasped, just as her stomach lurched and she bent over the bucket once more. Carlisle cursed quietly under his breath as Emmett held her hair again, looking saddened.

"Relax, sweetheart," soothed Carlisle sadly, rubbing the tense muscles on her midriff. She gasped and tried to shove his hand away unsuccessfully, succumbing to another bout of crippling nausea. He kept his hand moving steadily as she cried, obviously beyond exhausted by this point.

"Relax," he soothed, slowing his circles to a gentle massage. She waited, still as a statue until his hand halted completely, simply resting on her clenched abdomen.

"Relax," he repeated, feeling as her tense muscles relaxed and she slumped down, tears pouring down her face.

"There," he soothed, crouching to her eye-level. "You need to keep calm, or you won't be able to keep anything down."

"Please no doctors," she begged again, her voice borderline-hysterical.

"I promise that nothing at my hospital will hurt you," he vowed. "Nothing whatsoever."

"No doctors," she insisted, shaking her head rapidly.

"Bella, please," said Emmett gently, his voice tired and gritty as well. "Calm down."

"Emmett please no," she begged, turning her wild eyes on her brother instead. "No doctors."

"I love you," he said quietly, hugging her tightly as she rested her forehead on his shoulder. I watched again as the fever overcame her and her eyes drooped again, despite her troubled state of mind.

"There," whispered Emmett. "Shh…"

She fell back to sleep, her eyelids and under-eyes an unpleasant shade of purple against the paleness of her skin.

"I'll try feeding her another Gravol when she wakes up," said Carlisle gently, covering her body with a the thin bed sheet. Emmett wrapped her carefully, determined to keep her comfortable.

"Keep her out from under the duvet, or else she'll really start to overheat," he said. "Call me up when she wakes, and I'll come check her again."

"Okay," said Emmett grittily, laying her down carefully on her pillows. He rested his head next to hers, his eyes red and glossy from lack of sleep.

"How long have you been up with her?" I asked.

"Since three thirty," he admitted. "I was about to go to sleep and I heard her fall in the bathroom. I went up and found her over the toilet."

"Poor thing," I said sadly, watching as he drew her covers up over himself, leaving her sweating form under the sheet.

"Try to get some sleep," I advised gently, leaving my two children together in the bedroom, one sick and the other exhausted.

ooOoo

Two hours later, there was little change in Bella's condition. The other children had all woken up by this point and Alice had been up to the third floor at least three times, worrying and fretting for Bella's welfare. She had remained asleep so far, but after Emmett had allowed himself a short, hour-long nap, he'd insisted that her fever had spiked yet again, so here we were, checking in on her and taking her temperature yet again.

"Bella?" asked Carlisle firmly as her eyes drooped tiredly, the thermometer sticking out of her mouth. She watched him with her glazed eyes, letting the thermometer beep. He took it out, frowning.

"I'm taking you in," he said firmly, making me frown as her eyes filled with tears once more.

"Don't you panic over it," he soothed. "I'll do the workup."

That didn't seem to comfort her much, but she _did _stop crying. I watched as my husband coaxed the exhausted, sick girl out of her bed and into the hallway, the dog hot on their heels.

"Move, Jake," said Carlisle impatiently as I closed the door gently behind me, leaving Emmett dozing on Bella's bed.

No need to disturb what little sleep he'd been granted. Jake moved ahead of the pair and down the stairs, the rhythmic thumping of his tail against the banister reaching even my ears. Carlisle helped Bella down the steps, walking slowly with her so she wouldn't trip and break her neck, the pair making it successfully to the bottom of the stairs.

"Come on, sweetheart," he coaxed gently, leading her to the front door.

"We'll be back soon," he told me gently, just as Alice peeked out of the kitchen.

"Where's she going?" she demanded, having learned that it was almost useless to address Bella directly in this state of mind.

"She's got a fever, and she might need antibiotics," explained Carlisle, making her frown.

"Be careful," she said sadly, having been forbidden from kissing her sister.

No need to get everyone in the house sick.

"Bye," rasped Bella quietly, making Alice's worry grow as Carlisle led her out of the house, and into his car.

* * *

CPOV

"Come on, Bella," I coaxed gently, watching the unsteady, nauseous girl proceed to my car, her red bucket in my free hand. I led her to the backseat of my Mercedes, sitting her inside carefully.

She watched me distrustfully, and I felt the sting of rejection as she eyed me, nervous and wary.

"You're safe," I reminded her, wanting nothing more than to have her trust me.

It would make me incredibly happy to form a bond with my newest child, not to mention making this procedure exponentially easier. I started the car and watched as she forgot about her seatbelt, reclining into a fetal position across all three seats. Her bucket rested on the floor by her head, just in case the car's movement overwhelmed her.

Luckily, the drive was short, and before long, we were parked in the proper spot- in my designated spot near the doors.

"Come on," I said for what felt like the fiftieth time, opening the door closest to her head. She sat up slowly, the dizziness evident as her eyes drooped again and her face paled.

I thought she was going to be sick for a moment, but she shocked me by grabbing onto the car door tightly, trying to steady herself.

She was very sick.

I took her by the shoulders and steered her gently in the right direction, allowing her to lean into my side for support as I moved through the familiar, sterile hallways. I went straight through to the triage nurse, explaining my predicament and asking for the key to an unused exam room.

"Room four's open," she said with a smile, offering Bella a sad look of encouragement. Bella didn't even seem to notice her- which alarmed me- and I went that much faster as I led her into the back and unlocked the sterilized examination room, closing the door behind us.

"Up you get," I urged, using the same voice I used for my youngest patients. Bella slid herself awkwardly up onto the paper covering the table, laying back quickly.

"I'm going to take your blood pressure, okay?" I asked gently. She nodded quietly, suppressing tears as I placed the cuff on her arm and my stethoscope just under that, taking the blood pressure as efficiently as I knew how.

It was a little low, and it worried me.

"Bella?" I asked gently, making her frown as she glanced over, wide-eyed and disoriented. "Are you dizzy or lightheaded?" She nodded gently, closing her eyes as I took her pulse once more.

One hundred and thirty beats per minute was much too fast for a resting heartbeat, and I frowned worriedly as I looked in her eyes with the penlight once more.

"Any chest pain?" I asked, making her stare at me.

"My stomach hurts," she rasped out.

"I know sweetheart, but does your chest hurt at all?"

"Not right now."

I frowned worriedly.

"Does it ever?"

"When I panic, sometimes," she admitted in her dazed voice. I sighed, not liking the non-specific answers.

"Relax here for a minute," I said quietly, leaving the room for a short moment.

I knew her health was fragile, even before she'd come to us. She'd been checked out in the hospital before she came to us, but I knew that the doctors had very limited access to her- she was much too fearful.

"Diane?" I called, flagging down the ER nurse as she passed me by. She stopped looking up at me carefully.

"Isn't it your day off?" she asked confusedly.

"Yes, but Bella's sick," I explained. She nodded understandingly.

"What can I do for you?"

"Could you get one of the EKG machines, please?" I asked. "Her heart rate's much too fast."

"Right away," she said dutifully, moving towards the medical supply cupboard. I moved back in the room, where Bella was lying on the table with her eyes closed.

"Bella?" I asked, making her crack her eyes open. "I need to do an EKG."

"A what?"

"An electrocardiogram," I said gently. "It lets me know what's going on with your heart."

"My heart?" Now she was worried.

"Just relax," I said gently. "It's non-invasive and it won't hurt you."

"Okay."

It was a giant leap for her, knowing that she was putting some amount of trust in me as her physician. I watched as she sunk- as best as one could sink- into the foam on the table, letting me do as I pleased. Diane came in just then, pushing the metal cart with electrodes, tape and every other piece of equipment necessary. She moved over and lifted Bella's head, sliding a starched, white pillow under her to make her more comfortable.

"Feel better, sweetie," she said gently, leaving me to my business. I sighed, grabbing the first of the electrodes. I attached the first ones to her arms and legs, making sure I had them in the right place before I moved upwards.

"I need to lift your shirt a bit," I informed her, making her shiver as I raised the bottom of her shirt, applying the electrodes there as well. She breathed heavily as I stuck them to her skin, pulling her shirt down carefully as she controlled her breathing.

_Good girl, Bella._

I turned on the machine and almost instantly, paper began to feed out, Bella's heart beats recorded down.

"Have you ever felt like this before?" I asked, referring to her nausea.

She just nodded, her eyes closed as she let out another tear. I handed her a tissue carefully, letting her wipe the tears away as I let the test continue.

"You're alright," I soothed, examining the paper out of the corner of my eye.

"I feel sick again," she warned, just as her heart rate increased and she vomited again, emptying whatever she had left in her stomach into the bucket.

She cried, and five minutes later, I had decent enough results to interpret. I gently detached the electrodes from her chest and appendages, taking the paper gently as I brought it over to the desk. She rested on the table as I turned on the lamp, examining the printout.

I saw the abnormality almost instantly, seeing the evidence right in front of me.

"All right, sweetheart," I said gently, taking the paper in my hand. I gently placed the paper in her folder, leaving it in my patient binder at the nurse's station before I helped Bella sit up once more, determined not to worry about her health in front of her.

That would hardly be recommended, as her attending. She was sick and anxious enough- she didn't need to worry about me and my reactions on top of her own.

Bella shook and quivered as I steadied her, writing her a script for prescription nausea suppressants and a broad-spectrum antibiotic on a pad of my prescription paper.

"I need to take some blood for testing," I told her, making her shake. She stared at me, fear oozing through as I pulled out the proper needle and tubing from the drawer, asking her to relax once more.

"I'll be very gentle," I assured her. "I'll even use a baby needle."

"Okay."

I beamed at her and tied the tourniquet around her upper arm, asking her to relax. I slid the needle into the vein in the crook of her elbow, watching as the four vials filled easily. I gently slid the needle out and taped a cotton ball to her arm, all while she clamped her eyes closed and looked away.

"Done," I said softly.

She opened her eyes in surprise, obviously expecting more pain and gore.

"Oh."

I helped her down gently from the table, standing her unsteadily on the floor. I dropped the blood off with Diane at the nurse's station, asking her to send it to the lab for testing- as fast as she could.

We could only guess at how sick Bella's heart was, with all the drug cocktails she'd been fed. The last thing I wanted was for a potentially dangerous heart condition to go undetected.

Bella remained unsteady the entire trip to the hospital pharmacy, and the entire way to the car. I laid her down gently in the back again, returning her bucket to her before I got in the driver's seat, placing the prescriptions on the seat next to me.

"Are you alright back there?" I asked gently.

She made a small, affirmative noise as I moved out of the parking lot and down the main road, towards my home.

I had a phone call to make.

The house appeared before me much faster than I'd anticipated, an hour and a half after I'd left the house with Bella. Gently, I moved to the back seat, opening it up to find Bella asleep. She was light enough for me to carry inside without straining myself, and as Esme opened the door for us, I laid her down gently on the sitting room's squishiest sofa.

"Here," I said, handing her the medications. My wife's methodical mind was already formulating dosage schedules in her mind, and I offered her a small, weak smile.

"Where's the address book?" I asked quietly, making her frown.

"For what?"

"I need to call someone," I admitted, reluctant to tell her who.

"Who?" she demanded warily, glancing at Bella. I knew her mind would be running over all sorts of grisly scenarios now, and I sighed.

"Eleazar."

"What for?" she asked, confused. "He's in Seattle."

"He's the best cardiologist I know," I said softly, glancing at Bella.

"Oh no, Carlisle," she gasped, putting the pieces together. "What's the matter with her heart?"

"I'm not sure," I said patiently, hugging her softly. "That's why I want Eleazar to take a look at her EKG."

"Is she okay?"

"For now," I said. "She's probably got whatever bug's been going around. I drew blood, to be sure."

"Probably?" she quoted sadly. "What else could it be?"

"I saw an arrhythmia on her EKG results," I admitted gently.

"A what?" she asked, baffled by the medical terminology.

"It looked like intermittent ventricular tachycardia," I explained. "The bottom left chamber of her heart is contracting faster than it should, on and off."

She stared, obviously only catching the "heart going faster than it should".

"Is it dangerous?" she demanded.

"It can be," I admitted, not daring to tell her just how dangerous it was. "Where's the address book?"

"I'll grab it."

My fearful wife disappeared quickly, returning with a cordless phone and our personal address book in hand. I took it gently and opened it to the familiar page, reading the name and number easily. I dialled the phone and listened to the two rings.

"Seattle General, cardiac unit," said an unfamiliar woman.

"Might I speak with Doctor Denali, please?" I asked quickly, not beating around the bush.

"Can I ask who's calling?"

"Carlisle Cullen, from Forks Memorial."

"Just a moment, please."

I waited for what felt like hours, before someone finally came back.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Carlisle?" came the familiar, teasing voice of my old comrade.

"Eleazar, I have a favour to ask you." I said, my voice tense as I watched the girl on the sofa.

"Ask away," he said easily.

"Are you up for a new patient?"

"How old?" he asked, shuffling through papers.

"Sixteen," I admitted, making him sigh.

"A kid?"

"_My _kid," I clarified, making him falter.

"I thought Edward turned seventeen in June?" he asked, confused.

"He did," I explained. "Isabella Swan, however, is still sixteen."

"You did an EKG?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Anything of interest?"

"Tachycardia."

"Specifically?" he asked, sounding a little impatient.

"Intermittent v-tach," I said. "She's been exposed to a lot of toxins and I want your opinion."

"What sort of toxins?" he asked, confused.

Surely a sixteen year old girl wasn't that far into drugs just yet?

"Have you watched the news lately?" I asked.

"Sure," he said easily. "Every morning."

"Bella is Alice and Emmett's biological sister from Seattle," I explained. My children had never met Eleazar, but Eleazar sure knew enough about them.

"Okay," he said, confused.

"She was Dupont's pediatric patient in Phoenix," I said in a rush. "We're not exactly sure what he had her on."

Eleazar fell silent.

"I have an opening next Thursday," he said quietly. "Does that work?"

"That's fine," I said quickly. I'd _make_ it work.

"Great. My office at 2:00?"

"That's perfect."

**A/N: So there you go... not done with the drama yet! Please leave me a review and tell me what you think!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 14**

**A/N: Happy birthday to me! I turned 17 today, and to celebrate I decided to update... it's shorter than what we're used to, but it's also early!**

EmPOV

When I woke up in Bella's room later that morning, I found myself alone- Bella, Esme and Carlisle were all gone, and I felt a pang of worry surge through me.

Where was she? She was sick, and she should be in her bed. I remembered Carlisle coming in and taking her temperature- then, nothing.

Had she been sick enough to warrant an ER visit? Quickly, I tossed my feet over the edge of her bed and opened her door, walking out into the hallway. I made my way downstairs quickly, finding Alice and Esme convened with Carlisle and a bleary-eyed Bella in the sitting room.

I stared, rubbing the last traces of sleep from my eyes.

"What's wrong with her?" demanded Alice angrily, looking at her sister carefully. Carlisle, obviously stressed and unhappy, sighed, running his hand through his sleek hair.

"I don't know, exactly," he said quietly. "I told you, we're going to see Doctor Denali in Seattle next week."

"Dad!" cried Alice worriedly, making me frown.

"The cardiologist?" I blurted, my voice scratchy with sleep.

"Yes," said Carlisle reluctantly, glancing at Bella quickly. "I want him to look at her EKG."

"Her what?"

"Electrocardiogram," he said. "I placed electrodes on her chest, arms and legs and recorded her heartbeat."

"What's wrong with her heartbeat?" demanded Alice angrily, making Bella flinch as she pressed her face into the pillows.

I moved over quickly, avoiding the red bucket by her side and sat down at her head, frowning lightly.

"Alice, don't yell," chastised Carlisle gently, watching Bella carefully. "It's not my place to tell."

"You can tell her."

The raspy voice pained me to hear, but Alice smiled triumphantly.

"I think I spotted an arrhythmia," he admitted sadly. "Intermittent ventricular tachycardia."

"What is that?" she asked, confused.

"The bottom half of her heart is contracting faster than it should."

Alice fell silent, swallowing thickly.

"Is it dangerous?"

"It can be," he admitted softly, obviously not wanting to cause Bella much more stress. "Eleazar will know how to proceed. Bella glanced up at him fearfully.

"I don't want to."

Carlisle sighed, pinching his nose.

"Eleazar is a trusted friend of ours," he said gently. "He won't hurt you."

Bella remained unconvinced, and I frowned.

"Let him look you over, and make sure you're healthy," I advised. "We don't want you to be sick."

"But he's…" she trailed off, shuddering.

_A doctor._

I knew her fears, but not even her anxiety would keep her away from potentially life-saving medical treatment. Not while I was around.

"Where did she get an arrhythmia?" I asked quietly as I rubbed gentle circles on Bella's back, wanting nothing more than for her to feel better. Carlisle sighed and watched me closely for a long moment, before he glanced down at Bella, sadness and pity evident in his gaze.

"It can be genetic," he admitted.

"But?" I prompted, knowing there was more.

"Exposure to toxins can cause it too."

"You've got to be kidding me," I growled darkly, making him frown.

"We don't know what he gave her down in Phoenix, and we definitely don't know how it affected her cardiac health-"

"He fucked with her heart too!" I boomed angrily.

My long-tested patience was finally breaking.

Bella flinched

"Don't yell," admonished Carlisle, seeing Bella's anxiety rising.

I was beyond reason. I was _livid._

"I'll yell all I goddamn want!" I shouted, rising to my feet. "He fucked with her head, and now her heart too!"

Flinch.

"Sit down!" said Carlisle firmly. "Stop-"

"Don't you tell me what to do!" I felt angry tears spring into my eyes as I saw Bella flinch again. "I'll kill that fucker!"

"Emmett, please," said Esme sadly, tears streaming down her cheeks at my angry meltdown.

"Please what?" I snapped. "Look what he did!" I shouted, pointing at my sister with one long finger.

Flinch, flinch, flinch.

"Sit down and stop yelling," ordered Carlisle, his eyes not on me, but on my sister.

She threw up noisily again, making my anger rear up again.

"No-!"

"Stress is_ not _the way to cope with a heart rhythm defect. Sit down or get out," snapped Carlisle angrily. "I won't have you setting off an episode."

His words sunk in and the anger was replaced with cold, icy fear.

Had I set her off? I looked at her closely, seeing how pale and clammy she was.

"Bell?" I asked softly, just as Alice came over, scowling.

"Get out of the way," she spat, her voice laced with venom. I moved aside for Alice, who settled on mumbling soothing words to calm her down.

Lord only knew what sorts of comparisons she drew this time… last time, I was Felix.

Who was I now?

"You're alright," she cooed. "Emmett's just angry."

"I'm sorry," she moaned, pressing her face into the pillows. "I didn't mean to, Alice, I-"

"Shush," she said gently. "Just go to sleep, and rest. You'll be better soon."

"Alice, I-"

"No, Bella," she said quietly. "Never mind that idiot."

I felt a strong jolt of betrayal.

"Alice," scolded Bella sadly, not liking her words.

"Never mind him," she repeated. "I'll talk to him, and he'll relax soon. You, on the other hand, need to relax _now."_

"Am I okay, Alice?" she asked worriedly, her eyes brightening with concern. Alice's eyes flickered sadly, but she smiled anyways.

"You're fine," she promised. "Carlisle just wants to make _perfectly _sure."

If Bella caught the lie, she didn't show it. She watched Alice with wide, trusting eyes as Alice encouraged her to sleep once more, letting her eyes droop shut.

Poor Bella hadn't slept much at all last night, having been wracked with sickness for most of the time.

"There," said Alice gently, making sure Bella was comfortably covered and tucked in before she backed off, turning her icy glare on me.

"You," she spat, her eyes like piercing lasers. I stared back at her, feeling the rage returning.

"What?" I snapped.

"Stop it, both of you," said Esme tearfully. "We don't need the two of you fighting."

"You self-centred idiot," she sneered, ignoring our mother. "You don't yell in front of her!"

Her voice was loud, and I immediately shushed her.

"Listen to who's yelling now," I shot back. "You'll wake her up."

"She was scared of you!" she cried in a loud whisper. "You _terrorized _her!"

"It's not my fault they fucked with her head," I snarled. "They fucked with her head, they fucked with her body, and now her heart?" I demanded. "You need a heart to live, Alice."

I might as well of smacked her. Her eyes filled with tears as she moved closer to me, breathing heavily.

"She's _not _going to die," she snarled dangerously.

"Right, I forgot. You know everything, right?" My voice was cynical and sarcastic, even to my ears.

"She won't die!" she cried out, her voice breaking with tears as Bella shifted, and my sudden, intense dislike for Alice broke. I watched sadly as the tears poured down her cheeks, the news of Bella's sickness overwhelming her.

Alice had never been very good at coping with her stress, and I felt like a real asshole as I watched her break, knowing I was partially to blame. She wiped her face with shaking hands, her eyes flickering to Bella's sleeping form.

I didn't want her to be sick any more than Alice did.

"She won't," said Alice valiantly, making me sigh as I glanced over at Bella's small, shaky body.

"She's just got the stomach flu," said Carlisle gently, cutting in as our battle wound down. Esme was looking at the floor, her head in her hands as she got a handle on herself, not liking when her children fought.

"And a heart problem," snapped Alice. "That's not the stomach flu."

"We don't know if it's serious," said Carlisle gently. "We don't know if she'll even need medication."

"She shouldn't," said Alice sadly. "She shouldn't need _any _medicine, ever."

"But she does," said Carlisle gently, speaking as kindly as he could. "Living by 'should-haves' or 'would-haves' won't get us anywhere. We need to deal with the here and the now and stop focusing on what could have been."

"I know," said Alice pitifully, looking torn between continuing her meltdown or making herself strong for Bella's sake.

"I know it's hard to see her sick, but she'll get better," he assured her. "She'll be over this in less than a few days. Everyone gets the stomach flu sometime or another."

Alice sniffled, nodding her head.

"I'm sorry," she said gently. "I didn't mean to freak out. I-"

"It's alright," he said quietly, moving closer as he wrapped his arms around her. I watched the two of them, not knowing exactly what to say as Alice calmed herself down and sat down on the sofa, turning to the television instead.

"Come to my study with me," said Carlisle quietly, watching me with unreadable eyes. I stared at him for a long moment before I walked with him towards the stairs, traipsing up quietly.

He opened the door and sat down on his brown leather sofa, inviting me to do the same.

"What's going on?" he asked me softly, looking concerned. "You rarely lose your temper like that."

I fell into a brooding silence, feeling like an invalid.

"Emmett?"

"I don't know," I admitted gently. Carlisle sighed.

"We knew there was a chance she wasn't completely healthy," he said softly. "What's changed?"

"I don't know," I said again, knowing that crying in front of my father would get me nowhere.

I wasn't a fucking pussy.

"It's okay to be upset," he said gently, watching me with his knowing, wise eyes.

I hated when Carlisle stared at me like that- it had always unnerved me.

"Not in front of Bella, it isn't," I said honestly. "I don't want to set her back."

"She's a teenage girl, Emmett," he said. "She'll soon come to a phase where she won't want you to lie and pretend. She's doing extremely well with trust, and she needs to understand that everybody's human, and we all have human emotions."

I sighed.

"She's not ready for that, yet," I argued feebly, hearing the tears coming. I forced them back angrily again, not daring to let him see my weakness.

I was a grown adult, not a little boy.

"I think we underestimate her," he said gently. "She needs to see that you have the ability to feel."

"I do feel," I defended, "I feel for her all the time."

"Not to her face," he said easily. "You hide."

"She can't handle it!" I shouted, my calm breaking once again. "She's terrified of me!"

"Not anymore, she isn't," he said, his voice showing no anger or disappointment. "She's doing well."

"Doing well is doing well enough," snapped. "I don't want to set her back."

"I understand that, but you can't take out your temper on Alice, either."

"I know."

Carlisle nodded gently, looking very worn out.

"Do you want to know what I found, or are you content with not knowing?" he asked.

"You'll tell me?"

"If you want me to," he agreed. "I don't think Bella will mind."

"Good."

"You know what the EKG is for?" he asked gently, making me nod. He'd explained it earlier, hadn't he?

"Her blood pressure was a little low- but not completely out of range- but her pulse was fast, that's why I did it in the first place. I'm a surgeon, not a cardiologist, but from what I did see, I noticed an abnormality. Every minute or so, the left ventricle of her heart beats faster than it should," he said gently.

"And that's bad?" I confirmed.

"Usually, yes," he admitted, making me frown as one traitor tear fell over. "I'll fax her records to Eleazar soon and he'll take a look at them. I'll drive her down to Seattle next Thursday, so he can examine her himself."

"What causes it?"

"Stress can aggravate it," he admitted. "But it's usually caused by toxins or genetics. I'm leaning towards the former. Did either of your parents have heart disease?" he asked gently.

"No," I said. "They were healthy."

He nodded understandingly.

"The heart is a sensitive organ," he said gently. "You put too much stress on it, and it'll malfunction."

"Will she be okay?" I asked worriedly.

"She should be fine," he said softly. "She'll most likely be put on beta-blockers, to suppress the extra contractions, unless Eleazar finds something else."

"What will he find?" I demanded, trying as hard as I could to keep the accusing tone out of my voice.

"I have no idea," he said honestly. "He's the heart specialist, not me."

"Will she even take pills?" I asked exasperatedly.

"She'll have to," he said simply. "I don't want to have to, but if I have to force her, I will."

I shivered, but kept quiet, knowing that Bella's anxiety couldn't be the cause of her worsening.

"She's done very well with medication since she's been here," he said softly, reassuring me.

"Yeah, because she's scared you'll beat the shit out of her if she says no," I growled.

He frowned, not liking that truth.

"Your sister is doing incredibly well, given her situation. She deserves to be happy."

"Damn straight," I said emphatically.

Bella deserved everything she could possibly be given, and then some.

"Are you alright?" asked Carlisle gently, after a moment of silence. I sniffed and shrugged, watching him carefully.

"I guess so," I admitted. "She worries me, that's all."

"I know she does," he said gently. "She worries all of us, I think. We've got to begin assimilating her into our lives properly, though, or she'll have a hard time moving on."

"I know."

I had to make sure Bella got to know the real me, before she got too attached to the unemotional me. She'd never seen me angry before, and although today scared her, it was also a huge hurdle for her to overcome. She had to learn that people could get angry without the intent of harming her at the same time.

Bella would learn.

"Go downstairs and talk to Alice," suggested Carlisle gently. "She's probably feeling badly about yelling at you."

"Probably," I agreed with a small smile, standing up. I moved to the door quietly, hesitating on my way out.

"Thanks, dad."

**A/N: So there's some Emmett for you... as a birthday gift to me, please review! ALSO: If you check out my website (link on my profile), you'll find pictures for this story in the Photo Gallery!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 15**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the long wait... Christmas snuck up on me, then New Years, then I was out of town visiting relatives for the past 8 days. I was going to update, but I didn't want to take time away from my family just to go sneak off with my laptop. This is a pretty decent length chapter... I hope it makes up for the wait.**

**Enjoy!**

BPOV

"Eleazar is a very nice man, Bella," said Carlisle again as we walked forward, leaving the safe parking space to go towards the unfamiliar building here in Seattle. I watched as the sliding glass doors came closer and closer and the panic began to sink in, making me frown.

"He's a doctor," I said sadly. Carlisle smiled gently.

"And so am I," he reminded me. "You'll be fine."

Doctor Cullen- or Carlisle- held my hand tightly as he led me inside. It was the most contact I would allow, but at least it _was _contact. He led me gently, not forcing me to walk too quickly as we entered the hospital doors, the frightening scent of disinfectant hitting me hard.

I hated the sterile smell- it smelled like the ward.

"Eleazar is on this floor," he assured me. "No elevators."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I might have tolerated Carlisle's hand-holding, but I didn't want to be shoved into a small space with him. The car was bad enough, and he couldn't even get me in there, since he was driving.

And also, who knew who else might want to take our elevator at the same time as us? With my luck, it would be the lightest-haired, meanest doctor in the whole hospital, and then, the elevator would break down and Carlisle and I would be stuck with his meanness for God knows how long.

No, elevators were bad.

"Just down this way," he said gently, watching me carefully as he pointed towards a small section of sofas, where no one was sitting. He walked me right up to the nurse behind the desk, speaking in his kindest voice.

"Isabella Swan here for Doctor Denali," he said gently. The lady looked up and nodded her head, her fingers flying over the keyboard in front of her.

"He'll see you just down the hall, third door on the right," she said, pointing us towards the automatic door.

It opened for me, and I recoiled slightly.

"Come on," said Carlisle softly, leading me onwards. He never took his hand out of mine, and I felt a teeny bit safer, knowing he was there with me.

Carlisle, I'd learned over the past week, was a safe man. He'd taken me to his work and examined me and he hadn't hurt me. When I'd been too sick to stop him, he'd lifted my shirt and kept me safe- he didn't hurt me like Felix did, and he didn't even speak unkindly to me.

I'd learned that Doctor Cullen's kindness was genuine, not a show for his family and friends. No, he was kind to me even when we were alone together and I was incredibly defenceless against him. He'd even made sure I was comfortable, by letting the nurse give me a pillow on that hard, papery table.

The hallway we were walking through was both familiar and spooky- it reminded me of the Institute. This hospital, however, had different lights and floors, but the layout was the same.

Long, sterile hallways with rows of identical, foreboding doors.

"I don't like it here," I whispered quietly to Carlisle, making him smile sadly.

"We should be quick," he said. "Eleazar has already seen your EKG results, so that saves us time."

I didn't believe him, but I nodded anyways.

Doctors _always _took a long time.

"Right in here," said Carlisle, leading me into a large examination room, much like the one in Forks, but bigger and with a comfier table. "Hop on up here," he instructed, patting the paper with his hand.

I wondered where Doctor Denali was.

"Carlisle," greeted a deep, calm voice from the doorway, making me swivel around quickly.

Doctor Denali, I assumed, stood in the doorway, a white lab coat worn over his dress clothes, a file in his hands. He had a darker complexion- not like Carlisle, anyways- and he spoke with a light accent. His hair was dark and shiny, sort of like a darker version of Emmett's, and he was tall.

He spooked me, but I kept still. The last thing I wanted was for the heart doctor to make my problem worse on purpose because I insulted him by being too noisy.

But Carlisle trusted him, so he couldn't have been _that _bad. Carlisle and he shook hands, exchanging idle words before both men turned to me- the unfamiliar one looking scrutinizing.

"Good afternoon, Isabella," he said gently, offering me a small smile. I stared at him before my eyes flickered to Carlisle, not wanting this strange man coming near me. Carlisle offered me a gentle, encouraging smile before I frowned slightly, shying away from this new man.

"My name's Doctor Denali, and I'll be taking a look at your heart today," he explained, making me frown.

He was going to _look _at it? I mean actually _look?_

No way.

I felt myself tear up as Carlisle came closer, shooting the doctor a meaningful look.

"Eleazar is a friend of mine from medical school," he explained gently. "We studied together for a little while."

"Oh." My voice was shaky and inconsistent, even with that short, one-syllable word.

"You're alright," he said quietly- but not too quiet so that the other doctor didn't hear. He kept a respectful distance as Carlisle calmed me, looking torn between sadness and pity.

"I see what you saw on the EKG, Carlisle," he said gently. "Although I have to say, I thought Forks had upgraded to digital technology?" His voice was amused, and Carlisle chuckled as well.

"Not quite yet," he admitted. "We're a little old-school."

"No kidding," he said, producing papers from his file. He scanned them quickly, setting them down on the desk before he signed onto his computer, clicking and typing away. He brought up what I recognized as a file- _my _file- and I frowned.

Where did he get that from?

"Relax, Bella," soothed Carlisle. "I'll be right here."

I nodded, liking the idea of a familiar face staying in the room.

"Alright, Isabella-"

"Bella," Carlisle interrupted, making him smile as he nodded.

"Bella," he corrected. "Let's get started."

Doctor Denali came closer and closer to me as I sat on that papery bench, and I felt the panic rising in my throat. I forced it down, not wanting to embarrass Carlisle in this hospital with his friend, but it was hard. I felt my heart racing, and Carlisle looked a little saddened. Doctor Denali smiled and held out his hand, making me give him mine so he could place two fingers on my wrist, timing the beats.

"Are you anxious, sweetheart?" he asked sadly, glancing at Carlisle for a short moment.

I shivered and blinked rapidly, making Carlisle sigh.

"You need to calm down, Bella," he urged. "Eleazar is not like the doctor you knew before."

My brain knew that, but my nerves didn't.

"I know," I said softly. "I know."

Doctor Denali continued to count before he stopped a few seconds later, sighing.

"One twenty nine," he said sadly. "It's a little fast."

"Can I take your blood pressure?" he asked. I glanced at Carlisle sadly, praying one last time that he'd forget this heart business and take me back to Forks, but he simply nodded encouragingly, wanting me to give my arm to the stranger.

I obeyed shakily, letting Doctor Denali wrap the cuff around my arm. His machine was electronic, so there was no stethoscope needed, but it still hurt when it squeezed.

I guessed then that it would always hurt, no matter which doctor was doing it.

He watched as the number carefully before he took the cuff off of my arm, letting me take it back quickly.

"A little high, but if you're anxious, then it's expected," he said gently. He decided to look in my eyes with his penlight, just as Carlisle had done last week, and then he took out his stethoscope.

"Deep breath," he said, waiting as I took a shaky breath, trying to do as he said. He moved the cold circle around on my back and chest, listening carefully.

"Breathe normally for me, please," he instructed, after he'd moved his circle around for a little while with the deep breaths. I obeyed, though I was sure he could hear my shaking.

"No murmur," he said. "That's a good thing."

I nodded and Carlisle took my hand gently, squeezing lightly.

"Do you have any idea at all what she was given?" asked Doctor Denali, making me shiver.

"Zopiclone," said Carlisle gently, making him nod as he wrote it down. "He code-named all the others in the paperwork, so I'm not sure."

"Effexor," I said quietly, making Carlisle's head swivel around.

"Your remember?" he asked, astonished.

"A few of them," I whispered. Doctor Denali wrote down that word as well, taking in everything.

"Xanax, Ativan, Zopiclone, Effexor, Risperidone and his special ones. New ones," I offered. "I didn't like them."

"Alright," said Doctor Denali, examining the long, long list of medications I'd given him. Carlisle squeezed my hand lightly, leaning on the table I was sitting on.

"Alright, sweetheart," started Doctor Denali again. "We have some tests I'd like you to do."

"What tests?" I asked nervously, making him smile.

"A stress test, a chest x-ray, an echocardiogram and a Holter test," he explained. "For the stress test, we'll put you on a bike or treadmill and monitor the cardiac output- your heart's sounds, rate and rhythm. It can also tell us if you're lungs are compromised."

"Oh," I said gently, trying to understand what he'd just told me.

"You'll just be on an exercise machine for no more than half an hour," said Carlisle gently. "Nothing to worry about."

I nodded as Doctor Denali continued.

"Chest x-rays and the echo take place up in radiology," he said. "The x-ray technician will take a picture of the inside of your chest."

I nodded quickly, wondering how in the world they were going to get a camera _inside _my chest.

"I'll have to schedule both the x-ray and the echo, since there's usually a waiting list," he continued, "but when you come in for the echo, we'll lay you down on a table like this one and use a Doppler to see through the skin, sort of like the chest x-ray. It'll show us how your heart moves, and if it's acting in a way it shouldn't be," he said, his voice kind and gentle as it had been since he walked in.

"I'll give you the Holter to take home in a week or so," he said. "Carlisle knows what it is, and he'll help you out with it. We'll put it on you like the EKG in Forks, but you'll keep it on for much longer. I want you to leave it for twenty four hours, at least. They're all out right now, but we should have it sometime next week, or early the week after."

"Okay," I said, not daring to contradict him. He nodded, smiling, before he turned to Carlisle.

"It might take a few weeks to get her in for the echo and x-ray," he said softly, making Carlisle nod. "Radiology is always jam packed."

"Alright," he said gently, squeezing my hand gently. I watched as Doctor Denali moved to the telephone on his desk, looking at me quickly.

"I'll call up and see if we can get you in for a stress test today," he explained. He picked up the telephone and pressed a few numbers, listening carefully.

"Hi Lucy," he said gently. "Do we have any openings today?" he asked. He listened closely, watching the clock.

"Great," he said after a few moments of listening. "We'll be up in five."

"We can go now," he said, hanging up his telephone. I frowned as Carlisle nodded, helping me down from my table as we moved towards the door.

"Have you eaten much today?" asked Doctor Denali as I moved out of the exam room and into the hallway.

"No," I admitted, making him nod.

"Any caffeine?"

"No," said Carlisle. "No smoking, either." Doctor Denali smiled, glancing down at my shoes. I frowned and glanced down as well, seeing the sneakers Alice had brought me my first week with them.

"I'm just making sure you'll be comfortable jogging in those," he told me gently. "Nothing to worry about."

I frowned at his consideration, wondering what exactly he meant.

"When we get to the exercise suite, I'll need to check your blood sugar," he explained, "to make sure you're not going to pass out on me."

I frowned, knowing exactly what that meant.

"I don't want a prick," I said softly, protesting. Doctor Denali chuckled.

"Just one, I promise," he said. "I'll be as fast as I can."

I fell silent, fearful once more. This strange man wanted to stick me with his needles, and I felt horribly vulnerable.

"Have you had any chest pain?" he asked me softly as he walked out into the main hallway, letting Carlisle and I follow.

"Only when I panic," I said softly.

"Never at any other time?" he pressed, making me frown.

"I don't know," I whispered, overwhelmed.

"Okay," he soothed gently. "Try not to panic too much." I took a deep breath as Carlisle watched me, a little nervous. He tightened his hold on me and contrary to what I expected, I felt a sense of calm flow over me.

Carlisle had made a deeper impression that I'd thought.

"We'll go up to the third floor," said Doctor Denali, stopping in the middle of the hall.

The elevator.

I frowned tearfully and shook my head, making Carlisle frown.

"It's fine," he soothed gently, looking slightly pained. "You're fine."

"It's small," I whispered.

"It is," he agreed. "But you're going to be just fine. It's just the three of us."

Unless other people were in there too…

"Relax, please," he said gently. Doctor Denali was politely looking away, examining the lighted numbers above the metal doors that told him on which floor the elevator was. I froze when the doors dinged quietly and slid open, revealing the small interior of the elevator car.

"Come on," urged Carlisle, ushering me forward first, letting the other doctor follow. I froze in place as the doors closed once more, and Doctor Denali pushed the "3".

The car moved, and I felt sickened.

"Deep breaths," said Carlisle softly, reminding me to breathe. I inhaled sharply and let the air out loudly, the sound piercing the air.

"Almost there," he said softly, standing very close as I panicked silently. I felt his hands on my shoulders and I leaned back, feeling the safety he brought.

Who would have known that I'd one day find Carlisle a comfort instead of a hazard?

The elevator dinged again and the doors reopened, letting us out on the third floor. I scrambled out quickly, not even bothering to look at the small group waiting for us to exit in my haste. Carlisle found me quickly and offered me a gentle smile.

"Good job," he said gently. "You did well in there."

I shrugged, folding my arms around me as Doctor Denali appeared out of the group as well, looking sadly triumphant.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. I nodded quickly, and watched as he led us onward.

"Lucy?" he called, as we went through another door. A small lady poked her head around a doorway, looking cheery and chipper.

She reminded me a little of Alice, and I felt drawn to her.

"This is Bella," he told her, gesturing to me. "She's in for my stress test."

"Great," she said, smiling at me easily. "Come with me, honey."

"Eleazar and I will be waiting in the exercise room," said Carlisle, handing me off to the stranger woman.

She didn't frighten me, since I'd grown used to nurses in the Phoenix Hospital, after the institute. I watched as Carlisle disappeared around a corner to my left, leaving me with the little lady- Lucy.

"Come this way," she urged in her happy tone, bringing me forward. "I'll get you all set up for Doctor D."

"Okay," I whispered, making her smile as I was brought into a small room.

"Now, normally, we'd ask you to come prepared in comfortable running clothes, but since this is short notice, we'll lend you some scrubs from the linens room." She reached around on a shelf and pulled down a pile of white clothing, handing it to me gently.

"The washroom's straight through there," she told me, pointing to another door. "You can change there, and when you come out, I'll hook up the electrodes."

"Thank you," I stammered quickly, moving as fast as I could towards the door. I didn't want to keep her waiting any longer than necessary. Once in the bathroom, I closed the door and stripped off my clothes, ignoring the marks covering my arms and chest. I slipped the loose fitting white t-shirt over my head and pulled the pants up, glancing in the mirror.

I looked scared, even to my own eyes.

Opening the door, I was met with Lucy, who was watching me with the smile she seemed to always have.

"All finished?" she asked. I nodded, my balled clothing in my hands. She instructed me to leave it in her chair, where no one would touch it, and led me into another exam room. She did the same thing Carlisle had done before- applying electrodes all over me- and before long, she was done.

"We'll go to the exercise space now," she told me. "Doctor D still has to check your blood sugar levels, though."

I shivered, and she noticed.

"Don't be nervous, honey," she soothed. "It won't hurt."

She was lying, and I knew it. The finger pricks _always _hurt.

She brought me through another two sets of doors, ending up in front of another large, metal one. She opened it for me and let me inside, where I found Carlisle and Doctor Denali deep in conversation, heads bent and faces serious.

"Hello Bella," said Doctor Denali as I came in, making me falter.

What did I do now?

"Come on over and have a seat here," he directed, pointing me to a bench. The room was large and white, full of all sorts of equipment. I saw bicycles attached to stands, conveyor belts on the floor and what looked like some sort of weights to lift. I sat on the designated bench, next to Carlisle, while Doctor Denali grabbed his handheld machine.

"Blood sugar," he informed me, making me recoil. He frowned sadly, sighing.

"I'll be quick," he promised. I sighed and glanced at Carlisle, who looked rather unrelenting and serious as I held my finger out to the strange doctor, letting him prick my finger.

I gasped as the blood drop oozed onto the paper strip, seeping right through. The machine beeped, and Doctor Denali smiled.

"Fine," he decreed, making me nod carefully. He asked Lucy to bring "the device" around.

Which device he was talking about, I had no idea. Lucy came back with a machine on a cart- a newer looking version of the EKG machine Carlisle had used in Forks.

"You've done this one before," he told me. "This time, we're doing it on a treadmill." He pointed to the conveyor belts. "You'll jog on it to get your heart going, and we'll see what happens."

"Okay," I said, moving over to the machine he pointed at. I stood on it carefully and he turned it on, making the belt move.

I almost fell, and he caught me quickly.

"Careful," he warned. "Walk with it."

Lucy was frowning confusedly as she watched me and my lack of know-how. Doctor Denali tried again and this time, I walked quickly. It was simple, after that first try, and I was momentarily proud until I remembered the stranger beside me.

"Try this speed," he said, leaving me to walk swiftly. I continued the movement as he backed away, making sure I was steady before he turned to the computer screen, where the electrodes' readings were being transmitted.

"Keep going, sweetheart," he said. "We'll try five minutes, and see how that goes."

I ran while Carlisle, Lucy and Doctor Denali watched. Lucy stood next to me and my walking, watching me carefully as Doctor Denali clicked at the computer, reading my results.

I began to get tired when the timer read three minutes.

"You're doing well," said Doctor Denali calmly as Lucy offered me a water bottle. I took a sip but felt nauseous again as the running continued, and I began to slow down a bit.

At ten minutes, I was ready to drop.

"Okay," said Doctor Denali suddenly, eying me carefully. "We've got what we need."

Lucy shut the machine off, and I felt my legs quiver painfully. She helped me step down shakily.

I was much too sweaty now, and I could feel my heart racing.

It bothered me, and I immediately sat down on the bench, breathing heavily.

"Are you feeling alright?" asked Carlisle concernedly.

"I'm tired," I admitted softly. "And my heart's beating fast."

"You're rhythm's abnormal," said the heart doctor, watching me sadly. "Ventricular tachycardia comes for around thirty four seconds with one minute intervals in between each episode. I want you to take it easy until I see you next time."

Carlisle sighed worriedly.

"Bella?" asked Doctor Denali softly, making me glance over, still breathing quite heavily. "Were you exposed to any electric shocks?"

I frowned at the memory of the stun gun, refusing to answer him. I was tired, and the last thing I wanted was to remember the Doctor's zapper.

"Yes she was," Carlisle answered for me, gently placing his hand on my back. Doctor Denali nodded quietly and wrote down another note on his stupid clipboard, glancing at the screen once more.

"I'd like to start you on 25 mg of Atenolol," he said gently. Carlisle nodded, obviously understanding what he was talking about. "It's a beta-blocker that will help suppress the arrhythmia. When you come back for the other tests, we'll be able to see further into the cause of the abnormality."

He wanted to give me pills, I realized.

"No pills," I said, my voice breathy, but steadying as I came down from my exercise.

"Bella, it's necessary," said Carlisle gently, his voice soothing and calm.

"No."

"You need them," he informed me. "We can't let this go untreated."

"Why not?" I asked. This was obviously an old thing- not something new- and I must have lived with it for a long time, right?

"It can be very dangerous if we don't get it under control," he informed me gently. "Ventricular tachycardia has the potential to turn into ventricular fibrillation."

"Oh."

I had no idea what that was.

"If the tachycardia becomes constant instead of intermittent- which it probably will without treatment- you're at an extremely high risk for cardiac arrest."

Now _that,_ I knew of. That means you were essentially dead unless the doctor zapped you back.

Gino had been in cardiac arrest once, because the Doctor had fed him too much medicine.

"I don't want to die," I said sadly, making him sigh heavily.

"You need the medication," he repeated. "I promise you, it'll help, not hinder."

I had no choice but to trust him.

"There are side effects," said Doctor Denali suddenly, obviously confident that his orders would be followed. "Indigestion, dry mouth, constipation, dizziness, stuffy nose, fatigue and nightmares have all been reported."

I felt my eyes moisten- the last thing I wanted was bad dreams. I kept Jake up enough at nighttime just by being _around _him.

"I'm also going to write you a script for Ativan," he said gently. I stared at him. "Anxiety won't help your cause any, and I don't want to stress you again until I know what's causing your arrhythmia."

"Okay," I said sadly, knowing fighting was a lost cause, even if the pills scared me more than any doctor did.

The doctor was merely the operator, the pills were the weapons. A hunter was powerless without his gun.

"Medication is truly a wonderful thing, when taken properly," said Carlisle softly. "I promise, you'll only take what you need, no more than that."

I nodded warily, still not liking the idea.

Doctor Denali wrote up the script for my new medicine and handed it to Carlisle, who pocketed it quickly. The two exchanged words as I watched, debating over dates and times for my next appointments, for the rest of my tests.

"Today's the twentieth of July. September tenth is over a month and a half away," argued Carlisle softly, his voice disappointed.

"It's the soonest I can get," said Doctor Denali. "We're overbooked as it is." Carlisle sighed, agreeing softly to return with me to this hospital on the tenth of September.

"Call me if there are any sooner openings," he said sadly, glancing worriedly at me.

"I will," he assured. "If her condition worsens, phone in and I'll bump her up sooner."

"Thank you, Eleazar," said Carlisle gently, making his old friend smile.

"Glad to help," he said. "You have a nice day, Bella."

"You too," I said politely, making him smile as Carlisle took my hand in his once more and left the room with me, Doctor Denali's business card in hand.

"You _must _let me know if you're feeling off, alright?" he said anxiously. "It's very important that you stay healthy until we find out what's causing the problem."

"Okay."

"If you're not comfortable telling me, you tell Esme or Alice or someone else," he continued. "I know I'm not your favourite person in the world, but-"

I frowned.

"You're not that bad," I admitted, blushing red to the roots of my hair. He chuckled.

"Thanks, Bella," he said softly. "I hope you can learn to trust me."

He sounded sad.

"Maybe," I agreed hesitantly. He'd been kind to me more times than I could count, no matter what foolish, disobedient thing I was doing. I'd cried, yelled and outwardly argued with him about his own area of study, and yet he remained constant and kind.

"Good," he said. "I think familial relationships are just what you need right now. I don't want you to feel alone."

"I don't," I said honestly. "I have Alice and Emmett and Edward and Esme…" I trailed off. "And Jasper, Rosalie and you. There's a lot of people around me."

My words sounded awkward, but he seemed to appreciate them.

"I'm very proud of you for doing so well today. I know meeting Eleazar wasn't easy for you."

"He's a nice person," I said carefully, my voice still betraying my discomfort.

"But he's a strange man in the medical profession. I know that's hard for you, and you did incredibly well."

"Thanks." I was sure I resembled a tomato from Esme's kitchen, based on the prickly heat in my cheeks. He caught sight of the red beacons and laughed gently, smiling as we found the staircase.

"You're done the stress test now, so the stairs are an option."

"Thank you," I said softly, making him nod as we walked down slowly, my feet dragging tiredly from my ten minute run.

"Are you still tired?" he asked me softly, his voice sympathetic.

"Yes," I admitted as our feet hit the ground of the main floor, right outside the door we'd come in. He nodded and led the way outside again, holding my hand as we crossed the busy parking lot.

I wondered in that moment if holding hands was normal for girls my age to do with adults. Maybe, maybe not, but no matter the answer, I was glad not to be flattened by any passing cars in the lot. Carlisle brought me to his black car and held the passenger side door open for me, closing it softly behind me. When he was seated and buckled in, he turned the car on, and I saw the time flashing 4:04.

"We should be back in time for dinner at six," he said softly. "Esme will be waiting for your results."

"Were they okay results?" I asked bravely, making him sigh.

"They were expected," he said.

"Expected good or expected bad?" I pestered.

"It's tolerable, for now," he admitted. "I don't like the long term outlook, though. The medication will help until we can get in to find the root of the problem."

"Oh."

"You'll be fine, Bella," he said gently. "I promise."

I held onto his word religiously, nodding emphatically as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the freeway, speeding away towards our home in the trees.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed chapter 15! Please leave a review and let me know what you think.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 16**

**A/N: Here's chapter sixteen for everyone to read... I hope you enjoy it.**

**Have a great weekend!**

BPOV

"Are you sure, Bella?" asked Alice softly.

"Yeah," I said easily. "I want to see it again."

"Is it _that _great?" she asked sceptically. "I don't think a field is worth you getting sick again-"

"It's not supposed to rain today," I said. "Edward checked."

"Of course he did," said Alice in a low, sarcastic voice, sighing heavily as she plopped herself down on my bed. I moved a few pairs of pants to the side on the closet's bar, grabbing the familiar jacket from the hanger.

Alice, to say the least, had been thoroughly unhappy about my trip to Seattle with Carlisle. She'd been even more unhappy when I came back with pills for my heart and anxiety.

Alice worried about me too much.

"It'll be alright," I said awkwardly. "We'll have fun."

"What if you get too tired?" she asked nervously. "Dad said that you shouldn't overwhelm yourself until we know what's been going on."

"I'll take a break," I shrugged. "Edward promised to go slow."

She watched me closely for a long moment, not speaking as I pulled my pack out of the closet too. Esme had been kind enough to put it all away for me while I was sick in bed.

"Bella, I really don't like this," she said finally, taking a deep breath. I frowned sadly, not wanting Alice to be angry with me.

"I'll be careful," I promised. "If it starts to rain, Edward bought umbrellas."

"I'm sure there's _something _Edward didn't think to do," she snapped impatiently.

"Sorry." She sighed heavily at my spoken word, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Don't be sorry," she said gently. "I'm the one who snapped." I didn't know what to say, and wisely, I kept quiet.

"If Emmett knew you two were going out again, he'd be upset," she informed me.

"Esme knows," I argued. "She said we could go, if we were careful."

"I know."

I checked my pack, making sure I had all the things Edward had bought the first time we left. I just needed a water bottle, and I'd be set.

"I love you," she said, watching me expectantly.

Alice liked hearing me say it back.

"Love you too," I murmured quietly, feeling out of place.

Even though she loved hearing it, I felt strange saying it, even if it was true.

"Promise me you'll call?" she asked. "Just to let us know you're safe."

"Promise."

"Good."

As I took my bag in my hands, I moved towards the door, letting Jake out first, then Alice. Alice watched as I closed the door, making sure it latched properly, moving towards the stairs.

Today was the day we'd find our meadow- I just knew it. I couldn't wait to be back in that beautiful, round field again. Alice let me down the stairs first and I moved as quickly as I dared, not wanting to fall and break a bone. When I reached the bottom successfully I found Esme waiting, her face anxious and tense.

"You be very, very careful," she instructed gently. "Remember what Carlisle told you?"

"If I get too tired, I stop, and if I want to come back, I come back," I recited. She nodded in approval before she glanced over at Edward, who was pulling on a pair of thick, woollen socks.

"We'll be fine, mom."

"I hope so," she said sadly. "Call me in an hour."

"We will," said Edward, shooting me a small, crooked grin. "That meadow can't be too far from here. We mostly went in circles the first time, not in a straight line."

"I don't care how far it is," said Esme. "It's out of my sight, and in the middle of the woods."

"I know," said Edward soothingly. "Just don't let Emmett know."

Esme sighed, knowing very well that my brother would react very poorly if he knew that I'd been out trekking through the trees again, especially after what it did to me last time. I knew he connected my heart problem with the sickness, which was a direct result of the forest adventure.

I, on the other hand, knew very well that it wasn't the trees' fault that I had a bad heart- it was that Doctor in Phoenix's fault- Doctor Dupont.

"Emmett will be fine," said Esme confidently. "He has to let her live sometime." Her eyes flickered to me, the blue swimming with unspeakable depth.

"Let's go, Bella," said Edward. "If we take too long, we'll lose daylight."

"Be careful," said Esme one final time as we moved to the front door, lacing up the dirty hiking boots. Edward had the familiar GPS in hand as he progressed towards the door, holding it open for me.

"Thanks," I said softly. He nodded in acknowledgement before he bade Esme goodbye, closing the door behind us.

I'd never been more eager to return to the trees, where I felt unreasonably safe. The forest was vast, it was confined, and it was very, very green.

The dirt, mud, moss and fungus growing all around us was a stark contrast to the sterile whiteness of the Institute, and I loved the trees all the more for it.

"Last time we went northwest," said Edward softly, pointing in the general direction. "I think we should head a little further east this time and see what happens."

"Sure," I agreed softly.

He knew much more about forests than I did, and I wouldn't dare to contradict him.

"You'll let me know if you're feeling bad?" he asked quietly, looking at me with his intense gaze.

"Yes." My cheeks flushed brightly and I examined my laces, not wanting him to see me blushing.

_Edward _never blushed.

"Alright," he said, a hint of a smile playing around his mouth. "We go in there."

His finger was pointed at a particularly dense mass of green, making me shiver.

"_In _there?" I squeaked. It was awfully thick…

"We won't get lost," he promised. "The GPS is fully charged and the house is programmed into it."

"Okay."

_Trust him, Bella._

"Great." Just like last time, Edward reached out and offered me his hand, the familiar warmth coursing through me as our fingers touched. His grip was gentle and strong, just like always, and I was very pleased to find that there were very little traces of panic.

There was something about Edward that made me feel very comfortable. He was the only boy in the house that didn't resemble anyone I'd ever seen in the Institute. Carlisle and Jasper were light haired and Emmett was bulky and dark haired, but Edward was different.

His green eyes and strange coppery hair were like nothing I'd ever seen before. It was mesmerizing. He led the way, as usual, and the two of us marched into the thicket, my hand tightening around his as I focused on not falling into the mushy undergrowth.

Who knew what was living in there? Mice, moles, worms, bugs…

The unpleasant list went on.

"How've you been?" Edward's voice broke the silence sharply, his voice louder than usual in the dead silence of the forest.

"Fine," I stammered. "You?" The common courtesy of returning the statements hadn't escaped me, and I was glad I remembered the policy.

"Just fine," he said with a grin. "How did you like Eleazar?"

"Who?"

"Doctor Denali," he said easily. "In Seattle."

"He was…" I started, not wanting to talk badly about Carlisle's friend.

"Was he nice to you?" he asked, his voice taking on a new tone.

He was… wary?

"Yes, he was nice," I said quickly, "but he's…"

"A man?" guessed Edward softly, making me frown.

"Yeah," I said quietly, my voice almost a whisper.

"Carlisle's friend would never hurt you," he said quietly. "If Carlisle trusts someone, they're safe."

"Carlisle's a man too," I reminded him. The kind doctor might have earned some of my trust, but there was a long way to go before I could fully rely on him.

Who knew when he might turn on me?

"Not all men are bad," he reminded me. "I'm definitely not a woman and you seem fine with me."

I blushed darker than normal, making him chuckle.

"You look different," I blurted, watching as his face frowned, confused.

"Different?" he asked.

"Emmett reminds me of Felix," I said with a shudder, pressing that memory down. "He's big and dark-haired."

"You seen fine with him, too," he said softly.

"I remember a little of old Emmett," I explained. "When he wasn't so big." Edward smiled gently, nodding.

"Emmett was always big for his age," he noted. "He was huge in middle school."

"I don't doubt it," I said softly. "He's…"

There was a short pause between us.

"I know," said Edward. "He's very unique."

I laughed, the sound echoing off the damp tree trunks.

"You need to laugh more," said Edward after it died down, making me frown again.

"Oh."

"Don't be embarrassed," he laughed, squeezing my hand encouragingly. I sighed and the brief silences returned.

"What about Carlisle and Jasper?" he asked, getting me back on track.

"Jasper's not _too_ bad," I admitted. "But he's still a boy. And he watches, and he has light hair," I tacked on.

"He watches?" asked Edward confusedly.

"He did before. He didn't talk, just watched, like the Doctor after the medicine. He was a little Doctor."

"Jasper's shy," explained Edward. "He didn't want to overwhelm you."

"I said he wasn't bad," I reminded him. "Just a little…" I trailed off, sifting for the right word.

Not scary, not frightening, not overwhelming, not mean…

"Intimidating?" asked Edward.

Exactly. Jasper was _intimidating._

"Yes," I said firmly.

"Carlisle?" he prompted once more, glancing down at the GPS.

I stared at him, wondering why this one needed an explanation.

"He's a man, he's light-haired, he's a doctor, he's an authority, he watches, he's quiet, and he likes his hospital," I said pitifully. "He's scary."

"Carlisle loves you," he said, stopping in the middle of the trees to look at me. "He might be all those things, but he loves you."

Doctor Cullen loved _me? _Pathetic little Bella Swan?

"Why?" I whispered quietly. Doctors didn't _love._

They hurt.

"Because he does," said Edward simply. "You're kind, bright, inquisitive, curious, beautiful-"

"I'm not pretty," I said easily. He frowned.

"You don't see yourself very clearly, do you?" he asked, making me frown. I glanced down at my clothed arms.

"I see myself well enough," I countered sadly.

"I doubt that," he said dryly. "You're not ugly."

I flushed, but continued my defence.

"You haven't even seen them all," I said darkly. "They're everywhere."

"What are?" he asked.

"Scars."

"Those don't make you ugly," he informed me matter-of-factly. "They tell your story."

"It's an ugly story."

"Maybe," he admitted. "But again, your past doesn't define you."

Yes it did.

It did, it did, it did.

"Carlisle loves you because that's who he is," continued Edward. "He's loving by nature."

"Doctors hurt people," I contradicted. "They poke and feed and force and-"

"Your doctor did," he interrupted gently. "Carlisle isn't your doctor from Phoenix."

"He's the same," I argued, unable to see past the hair and profession. "He'll turn soon too, and then-"

"Is _that _what you think?" he demanded, his voice taking on an angry quality. "That he's going to change like Jekyll and Hyde whenever you turn your back?"

"I don't know," I said sadly, my voice turning squeaky again as I moved a few inches away.

Maybe he'd turn on me too.

"Bella," he said sadly, moving quickly to stand in front of me. He took both my hands in his, a frown covering his handsome, chiselled face.

"Bella, Carlisle would _never _hurt you," he said with conviction, his eyes begging me to see reason.

"He will," I said confidently. "They always do."

"He loves you, Bella," he repeated. "You don't purposely hurt the people you love. All he wants is for you to be healthy and happy in his home."

I stared, the information processing slowly.

"He wants you to _let _him love you, instead of being afraid. He wants to show you he cares."

I continued to stare, blinking a few times as his eyes bore into my own.

"If you let him, he'll be a support source for you."

I shrugged away from him returning my eyes to the GPS.

_Lets talk about something else now._

"Where are we?" I asked sadly, my voice low and quiet.

"Only about a mile from the house," he told me, pointing out a small number- 1.2- that showed how many miles we were from where we started.

"Oh."

"Which way do you think we should go?" he asked, his voice taking on its normal comforting, happy tone.

"Left?" I asked gently, glancing to our left. Edward grinned as he glanced down once more.

"Direct left is northwest, though only a _bit _west," he admitted. "Sounds good."

And with that, we were off once more. Though trekking through the trees was an arduous task, I enjoyed what we were doing- seeking out that beautiful meadow I called mini-paradise.

I could live in that meadow, I thought.

For twenty long minutes I walked with my hand in Edward's searching and moving through the trees. Edward tweaked our path a few times during that long silence and before long, I was growing weary.

"I'm tired," I said softly, remembering how important Carlisle said it was to take breaks when I got too worn out. Edward stopped quickly, making me knock into him like I had on our original trip, but this time, I managed to stay upright.

"Let's sit," he said easily. "There should be a decent log around here someplace-"

"Edward!" I cried suddenly, my face lighting up. He looked confused before he turned to see what it was I was looking at, his face breaking into a beautiful smile as well.

"Nice," he said enthusiastically, taking my hand once more and leading me through the trees.

We were here. Finally, we'd found the field again.

My tiredness forgotten, we both moved quickly through the last twenty feet of growth to find the large patch of circular grass, covered in wildflowers- some as high as my waist.

"It's so pretty," I gushed, feeling very much like my sister. Alice would kill to see this, and if she ever did, I knew she'd go on about it for days.

That was just how she was.

"It's spectacular," said Edward easily, leading me further into the field. The flowers brushed my sides as we went and I resisted the urge to giggle, settling for watching and just feeling.

This meadow was so calm- so serene- that I could feel my anxiety melting away. Any lingering feelings from mine and Edward's chat about his father were gone, and I felt nothing but pure tranquility.

_Tranquility- _that was the word Carlisle had used when describing how I should always feel when dealing with my heart business. Tranquil.

"We can sit over there," said Edward, pointing out a sunny patch of shorter grass. I followed him and before long we arrived at our final destination- the one patch of dry grass in the sunlight. He sat first, his body moving fluidly to the ground before I copied him, making sure I didn't tumble down too hard.

Bella Swan wasn't known for her grace and equilibrium.

"Finally," he said softly, producing the GPS once more. I watched as he pressed the buttons, programming the location into the system before he examined our coordinates.

"Two and a half miles north of the house," he told me. "Just outside the edge of the Quileute reservation."

"The what?" I asked softly.

What was a Quileute?

"It's a Native American reservation just outside Forks," he explained.

"A Native American?"

"First Nations?" he tried. I frowned, still terribly confused.

"Have you heard of the Navajo in Arizona?" he asked gently.

"They live in the desert," I offered.

"The Navajo are a Native American tribe in Arizona. The Quileutes live on the reservation in La Push, on the oceanfront."

"Oh."

"They were the first people in our country," he said. "The English, French and Spanish colonized North America later on."

"Oh," I said, my voice a little more comprehensive.

I think I got it.

"I'll call the house to let them know we found it," he said softly, pulling out his phone. I watched as his long fingers travelled over the buttons, dialling quickly.

"Hi mom," he said, once someone picked up at the house. "We found it."

Esme's reply was much too soft for me to hear, but I understood the gist of the question when Edward answered.

"Two miles north. Not that far in," he said easily. "We were too far west last time. I think we ended up on the reservation before."

"She's fine," he said. "She got a little tired when we found it, but we're sitting now."

Esme's reply sounded louder than the last, and I frowned, knowing she was worrying about me.

"I will," said Edward softly. "Okay- Alice, put mom back on."

He was annoyed. He listened as Alice spoke before he glanced at me, rolling his eyes.

"Alice would like me to tell you that she wants you to send her a photo," he recited, making me frown. Edward, after assuring her that I would, closed his phone gently and slipped it back into the waterproof pouch of his pack.

"Do you know how to use the camera on Emmett's phone?" he asked me as I glanced at it, unsure how to work it at all. I shook my head, watching as he scooted over so that he was next to me, holding out his hand for the small, black telephone. He flipped it open and the screen lit up, a picture of Emmett's goofy face appearing on the background. Edward laughed lightly at the chosen picture but moved quickly to the menu.

"There's the camera," he told me, pressing a button. I watched as the screen turned black for a short moment, a picture of the grass beneath us appearing moments later.

"Point it where you want it and press the circle," he told me, showing me what to do. I nodded, taking the phone quickly and standing up, wanting to get as many flowers into the picture as possible. I found a decent picture and pressed the circle, hearing the exaggerated click before the photo froze and stuck on the screen, even after I moved it away.

"That's neat," I decided. Edward smiled as I sat back down and handed it back to him, watching as he typed in Alice's phone number and sent her the picture to her, with the words "our meadow" underneath.

"She'll like it," he said confidently. "Alice is a sucker for pretty things."

Not a moment later, the phone buzzed and vibrated, leaving me to open it. I read the text quickly, trying to decipher Alice's strange words.

_OMG Bell, its B-E-U-tiful! All the flrs r so colourful!_

"I don't get it," I said bluntly, handing the phone to Edward. He smiled sadly and took it from me, reading it out loud.

"Oh my god, Bella, it's beautiful. All the flowers are so colourful," he recited.

"She didn't spell very well," I grumbled. He laughed as I sat back down, taking the phone and putting it back in my pocket. How did Alice expect me to get any smarter if she couldn't spell her words right?

"It's text language," said Edward gently. "It's hard to text out full words, and it takes a lot less time to use short hands. It takes time to get used to, though."

I nodded softly, shoving the phone back in the rubber zipper pocket in the pack. I made sure the zipper cover was over it as well, so that even if we got caught in the rain, Emmett's telephone would be safe and dry.

"Hungry?" asked Edward, opening his bag again to grab two apples. I smiled as he handed me one, letting me take a large bite before he meticulously peeled the sticker off of his, tossing it lightly to the ground.

"Thanks," I said, once I finished my bite. He nodded his reply as he bit into the green apple as well, chewing quickly.

"Apples are good for you," he told me softly, making me nod.

"We had them in Phoenix, too."

He nodded, falling silent. I ate quickly, the first bite making me ravenously hungry until all that was left was the core.

"Toss it into the flowers," he suggested. "It'll make a good lunch for some critter." I did as he said and tossed it high into the air, hearing it land with a thump amongst the stems. He copied me, his flying much further than mine had as it thudded more quietly than mine had, because it wasn't as close. He watched me for another moment before he laid down on the grass, motioning for me to join him. The sun shone against his skin making him look even more pale than he was, but not so pale that he looked sick.

Edward looked nice, laying so calmly in the sun. His hair glinted too, and as always, I watched it.

I wanted to touch it, I decided.

"Lay down," he said after a moment, patting the spot next to him. Slowly, I laid myself down so that my head was next to his, folding my hands on top of my tummy.

He turned to watch me, and I immediately blushed.

"You're very pink today," he noted playfully, sitting up on his elbow. The light, instead of shining onto his hair was now shining through it, creating a sort of orangey, glowing crown on his head.

"My cheeks get pink," I said, the comment unnecessary. He laughed again and laid back down on his side, obviously enjoying the sunshine.

"Forks doesn't get much sun," he told me quietly. "This place is shockingly bright."

"Sun's alright," I admitted, not daring to say I liked it- that would be lying.

Where there was sun, there was heat, and where there was heat, there was Phoenix.

"You're not too fond of it," he said, not as a question, but a simple statement of fact.

"No." My blunt answer caught his attention.

"Why?"

"There was too much sun in Phoenix. Phoenix is hot, and Forks is cold. I like it that way." He nodded understandingly, glancing over at me once more.

"Why do you trust me so much?" he asked suddenly.

"Should I not?" I asked nervously.

What was he planning?

"No!" he cried, alarmed. "Nothing like that, I'm just curious. I mean, you were scared of _Emmett_, for Christ's sake."

"I already told you," I whispered softly. "You look different."

"That's all?" he pressed. "I don't remind you of anyone?"

"No," I said.

"No that's not all or no, I don't remind you of anyone?" he prodded.

I hesitated.

"Both."

"What else is it then?" he asked.

"I have no idea," I admitted.

How did I explain my inherent sense of comfort around him without sounding crazy?

"None at all?"

"No," I said. "You just don't scare me like other people do."

"Well, I guess that's good," he laughed. "Want to play a game?"

"A game?" I asked, my interest piqued. I'd played very few games in my lifetime, the bulk of which were video games with Emmett.

"Twenty questions," he said, smiling.

"I don't know the rules," I said quickly, hoping he wouldn't think I was as dumb as I really was.

I wanted Edward to think I was smart.

"There's not many," he said without much thought. "I'll ask you a question, and you ask me a question."

I frowned.

"I don't know very much," I warned him. "I can't even read right."

"You're intelligent, Bella," he said quietly. "You know what to say, you just have trouble saying it."

Whatever made him happy.

"Anyways, this has nothing to do with how smart you are. It'll let us get to know each other a bit better."

"Okay?" I said, a little confused.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," he told me. "Neither do I. I just think that if we're going to be friends, we should know a bit about each other."

"Oh."

"Do you want me to go first, or you?" he asked politely.

"You." I still had no idea what sorts of questions he was talking about.

"What's your favourite colour?" he asked.

"Blue," I said easily, remembering the colour of my walls. He smiled.

"Your turn."

"What do I ask?" I inquired. He shrugged.

"What do you want to know?"

"What do you like to do?" I asked awkwardly, feeling like I was prying too far into his personal life. It was none of my business what he enjoyed.

"Music," he told me. "I like listening to it, and playing it."

"You play music?" I blurted. He grinned.

"Yeah," he admitted. "We have a baby grand downstairs."

"A baby what?" I didn't know there were any _babies _in Esme's house-

"A piano," he told me. I gasped.

"You play a piano?"

"Whenever I find time to actually sit down and do it," he told me. "I'll show you, someday."

"I'd like that," I said honestly.

I loved listening to music, whenever I could get my hands on it.

"What's your favourite book?" he asked. "I know you don't read much, but you must have read something?"

"Charlotte's Web," I said simply. "Jasper's teaching me to read it."

"Jasper's read enough to fill a whole library," he laughed. "I swear that's all he does."

"He's very good at it," I admitted. "Much better than me."

"You'll get there," said Edward gently. "The more you practice, the more you learn. You're not lacking for words, that's for sure."

"Oh."

"You know a lot of words."

"I didn't know what an icon was," I countered angrily. "Alice had to tell me. And she had to tell me what Detroit was."

"Do you know what a xenophobia is?" he asked me suddenly. Blushing, I shook my head.

"Neither did I, but that doesn't make me stupid," he said. "It makes me a learner- I had to look it up in a dictionary last night."

I watched him for a long, long moment.

"How old were you when Carlisle and Esme got you?" I asked, hoping my phrasing didn't make me sound rude.

"Five," he said simply. "My biological parents were deemed unfit, and I went into foster care. Esme and Carlisle were my first and only foster home, and they adopted me soon after I arrived with them."

"Sorry," I said sadly. He shook his head.

"It doesn't bother me," he admitted. "Ask whatever you'd like."

"Okay."

"What's your favourite show?" he asked.

"Holmes on Homes," I said with a smile. "He fixes people's houses."

Edward's eyes were dancing with amusement as I provided my answer.

"Where are your biological parents now?" I asked, mimicking the word he'd used- _biological_.

I assumed that meant his first set of parents.

"Last I heard, Elizabeth was in a correctional facility in Florida and Edward Senior was in a Florida pen."

"A pen?" I asked, confused.

"Prison," said Edward. "A penitentiary."

"What's a correctional facility?" I asked again, needing more clarification.

"A place where people get over addictions," he said. "Elizabeth's an alcoholic."

Oh.

"She drinks too much," he informed me, seeing my confused frown. "Alcohol makes you very unstable."

"That's sad," I said quietly, knowing just how terrible it was to be affected by chemicals. It wasn't fun.

"I guess so," he admitted. "I don't ever contact Edward, but Elizabeth writes every so often. The letters come through Child and Family Services."

"Do you write back?" I asked. He smiled at my many questions.

"Not often," he admitted. "I did when I first came to Carlisle and Esme. Before Esme became my mother, Elizabeth was the only mom I'd ever known."

I sighed.

"She still writes on my birthday, and sometimes at Christmas," he admits. "She's sent money before."

"Oh."

"My turn now?" he asked, wondering if I was done questioning him. I nodded quickly, bracing myself for his questions.

"When's your birthday?" he asked curiously.

I stared at him.

"I don't know," I whispered.

"You never celebrated?"

"No one celebrated where I was," I reminded him. He fell silent, glancing at the grass.

"Alice will know," he told me, making me nod.

I wanted to know too.

"Can you write her a message on the phone?" I wondered, making him smile.

"Yeah."

"Okay," I said, watching as he took out the phone again and began to press the buttons as quickly as his fingers would move.

"She should get back to us very soon," he said. Sure enough, not two minutes later, the phone buzzed and Edward opened it up.

"September 13, 1993," he told me.

September 13- that rang a bell somewhere deep in the back of my mind, and I nodded.

"It sounds right," I admitted. "That's soon."

"It is," he said, his voice happy as he texted Alice a goodbye message. He flipped the phone closed and rested it on his lap before he looked over at me, ready for my next question.

"What's your car called?" I asked, remembering how Rosalie had told me on the way home from the movie theatre that every car had a model and a year- Emmett had a 2009 Jeep Wrangler.

"An '09 Volvo," he said smilingly. "Silver."

"Emmett's is a Jeep," I told him, determined to be of some intelligence. He nodded.

"Alice has a Porsche 911 Turbo in canary yellow," he said. "Rose has an M3 red convertible, Carlisle has the Mercedes, Esme has a little blue Audi and Jasper has a black Harley."

"Oh."

"The Porsche, M3, Mercedes and Audi are all cars," he explained. "Jasper's is a motorcycle."

"Jasper drives a motorcycle?" I asked, awed. I'd only ever seen them on television, and somehow, it seemed strange to picture Jasper on one.

"Alice hates it," he laughed. "He's always trying to coax her into being his passenger."

"Aren't they loud?" I asked, confused. He laughed again.

"Jasper's personality doesn't reflect his vehicular choices."

Obviously not.

"Your turn," I said softly, watching as he thought of his next question.

"Do you think you'll ever trust Carlisle completely?" he asked.

I sighed heavily, remembering mine and Carlisle's expedition to Seattle.

"I don't know," I admitted. "He scares me, but we were very easy together in Seattle."

"That's a start," he said proudly. "I'm glad you let him in."

"For all of two minutes," I scoffed. "I'm sure he's confused."

"I doubt it, Bella," he said. "He's a doctor. He knows how the mind works, and he knows that your recovery will take time."

"Maybe someday," I admitted, answering his initial question.

"That's as much as I could have hoped for."

I wondered just then _why _Edward was so keen on me letting his father into my life.

"Why are you so set on me liking Carlisle?" I asked.

"Because he loves you," he said easily, repeating what he'd said earlier. "It hurts him to see you shy away because you think he'll hurt you. Carlisle's never hurt a soul in his life."

"I know that," I said, remembering what he'd told me earlier. "But why do you think he's so trustworthy?"

He thought for a moment.

"Because he's my dad," he said with a shrug, watching me as I watched him intently. "He's the only real father I've known. Edward Masen was never a dad to me- he was a drunk lunatic who hit my mother."

"He hit her?" I gasped, appalled.

"Yes," he admitted. "Not really in front of me, but I've put two and two together over the years. You've seen how Carlisle treats his wife. He adores her."

"I know."

"Carlisle's been exactly what I need in my life," he continued. "He was my dad and my friend from the start and just like he's doing with you, he waited for me to come to him."

I was silent as I took all this in.

Maybe someday, I'd grow to like Carlisle properly. Right now, I'd settle for cautious respect and a gentle trust.

Maybe he wouldn't poke me with his needles, but he could still scream and yell at me if he grew angry, no matter how many times he told me he wouldn't.

"We should head on back soon," said Edward, breaking the silence that had fallen between us. "We're losing daylight."

Sure enough, the sky was a bit darker and the clouds were rolling in, showing signs of rain. The last thing I wanted was to get sick again.

"Okay," I said, letting him help me up from the forest floor. He dusted my back off, letting the dead leaves and grass fall to the ground before he took my hand again, so as not to lose me in the trees.

"Do you mind this?" he asked quietly, gesturing to our hands.

"No," I said honestly. "Your hands are warm."

He smiled and held it in a firmer grip, bringing me closer to his right side. He held the GPS carefully as we slid our packs on, only letting go of our hands for a brief moment. When they were on and secure, I let him lead me out of the beauteous meadow and back into the forest around us.

"Will we be able to find it again?" I asked anxiously, making him smile.

"It's programmed in, so we won't lose it," he told me. "We'll definitely be coming back, if you want to."

"Of course I do," I said, scandalized. He grinned at me, leading me through the trees once more.

"We'll get home pretty quickly, now that we can move in a straight line. He tore through the underbrush and moved branches aside just as the misty rain began to fall very lightly- nothing like the downpour last time.

"We're almost there," he said, watching his GPS. Our arrow came closer and closer to the little red flag marked "home" and I grew excited.

We'd accomplished what we'd set out to do- we'd found our meadow.

_Our _meadow. I liked the sound of that.

I'd share that flowery heaven with Edward any day.

"There," he said, pointing ahead of us, into the woods.

If I squinted really hard, I could see the foggy outline of the home. I was glad we had the GPS now that the fog was setting in, not having realized how dense it had gotten.

Why were we always caught outside at bad times, even when the weather channel told us it was supposed to be nice? Before the idea could spook me too much, we were at the house's front door, opening it up carefully.

"Ladies first," said Edward, holding the door for me once more. He followed close behind, closing the door behind us.

"Hello dears," said Esme's soft voice from the kitchen, her head peeking out with her usual smile. "Was it fun?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "It was pretty."

"It _is_ quite striking," agreed Esme. "Alice showed me the picture."

"It's even better up close," I gushed, making her smile softly.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Edward grinned at me as I took off my jacket, hanging it carefully in Esme's front closet. When my shoes were off, I padded in my sock feet to the kitchen, where I knew Esme was cooking dinner. I found her there, slicing peppers for her spaghetti sauce. She smiled at me when I came in, inviting me to sit with her at the island counter.

"Would you like to help?" she asked.

"Sure."

My culinary skills had been increasing lately, as Esme had been teaching me how to use a sharp knife. I washed my hands at the sink and she handed me the cutting board with the knife and vegetable, instructing me to make little bite-sized pieces.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself today," she said. "What did the two of you do?"

"Talked," I admitted. "He said it was called twenty questions."

She laughed lightly.

"Did you learn anything?"

"He plays piano," I remembered, "and he talked about Elizabeth."

She glanced over at me sadly.

"That's nice, dear."

"And he talked about Carlisle," I admitted, focusing intently on my red pepper.

"Oh?"

I blushed as she glanced over more intently, looking interested.

"What about him?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, embarrassed. She looked momentarily disappointed, but returned to her celery without question.

Had I upset her?

"He talked about all the reasons I shouldn't be scared of him," I said in a rush, hoping to make her not sad.

Esme didn't deserve to be sad.

"And what did you think of his reasons?" she asked idly.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "It's harder than it sounds." She turned to me with sympathetic eyes, looking gentle.

"I know, sweetheart," she soothed. "I know it's hard for you to let him in."

I nodded, chopping the second of four peppers.

"I hope you know, though," she continued, "that Carlisle would never dream of hurting you."

I nodded again, remembering what Edward had told me.

"I don't _mean _to be scared," I whispered. "It just happens. I see him and I remember things, and-"

"I know."

Her quiet understanding meant the world to me, and I was glad she wasn't angry with me.

"You're doing beautifully," she said softly. "I'm very proud of your progress."

"That's what Alice says," I grumbled, knowing there was very little to be proud of.

So I could read a little kid's book and cut up a vegetable. Big deal.

"She's very right," said Esme with a light laugh. "Though Alice usually is."

"Alice is smart," I grumbled, feeling an unfamiliar pang of jealousy towards my perky, pretty, smart sister.

She was everything I wasn't.

"Oh sweetheart," said Esme sadly, putting her knife down as she moved over to me. She took the knife from my hands and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, letting me get lost in the thick, brown hair surrounding me.

Esme _knew._

"You'll get there," she told me. "You're moving at your own pace. Don't draw comparisons between Alice and yourself just yet."

"Sorry Esme," I said, feeling the familiar guilt that always accompanied envy.

"Don't be sorry either," she scolded gently. "I know this is all incredibly difficult for you."

I nodded into her shoulder, liking her sweet, calming smell. It wasn't often that I smelled people.

"I'll make sure you learn what you need to," she vowed. "I'll teach you here, and we'll see if we can get you a GED."

"A what?"

"It stands for general education development- it's an equivalent of a high-school diploma," she explained. "It won't get you into an Ivy league school, but a college in Seattle would be pleased to take you."

"Take me where?" I asked, my voice panicked.

"Oh, please don't worry," she said quickly, frazzled. "Normally, when people grow up, they go through school. First elementary, then middle school, then high school."

I nodded, having learned about high school from Alice and Emmett. Emmett had graduated and finished this past year, while Alice was going back for her last year with Jasper. Edward was going into his last year as well, according to my sister.

"College comes after high school, and it gets you ready for a job," she explained. "You take whatever interests you, and you can make a career out of it. Seattle has a lot of options."

"You want me to go there?" I asked, astonished.

I wasn't nearly educated enough to get into anything like _that._

"I do," she said. "Not right now, of course, but sometime. If you'd had a normal education, you'd be one grade below Edward."

"Oh."

I could _never _be as smart as Edward was… he knew so much.

"You need to be given a chance to learn, before you can compare yourself to your sister," she said, returning to her original point. "Let yourself grow a little before then."

"Okay," I whispered. She let me go and I took up the knife again, cutting the pepper carefully. I didn't want to cut my fingers. The two of us chopped quietly for a little while until she instructed me to bring the peppers to the pot, where I scooped them in carefully. She praised me when I'd finished, letting me know that I was becoming quite the cook.

"Would you get Edward for me?" she asked softly, smiling as she stirred the pot of spaghetti. "Ask him to come set the table so we can get started."

"Sure," I said easily. She smiled at me as I left the room, tip-toeing as I always did to remain quiet.

I found Edward in a room at the back of the house- someplace I'd never really entered.

He was at his piano, and as soon as I heard the notes, I froze. He was playing a song- a _beautiful _song like I'd never heard before. The notes tumbled through the air, meeting my ears with a joyous resonation as I glanced into the large room, peeking inside.

He was looking serious as his eyes travelled over his keyboard, flickering quickly to his notes every few seconds. He didn't notice me watching him and I slowly stepped inside, listening as the song went on.

It was perfect.

I watched his fingers fly over the keys in a sort of choreographed dance- something I could never hope to accomplish- and the sounds flew everywhere, echoing perfectly off of the walls and high ceiling.

"Shit!" he cried suddenly as he turned his head slightly, catching me watching him. He jumped in shock and his fingers hit a sour note, making me cringe.

"Sorry," I said quickly, my eyes wide. His chest heaved as he calmed down, looking torn between amusement and irritation.

"I didn't hear you come in," he told me, glancing at my tip-toe sock feet. He smirked, seeing the thick, striped wool socks I'd worn outside today- the ones Alice said "looked like a penguin's vomit".

Alice was very opinionated about my pink and blue striped socks.

"Um, Esme asked me to get you to set the table for dinner," I informed him, making him smile. Without hesitation he stood up from the polished black bench and grabbed the paper from the piano, folding it along the right lines and stuffing it into his jeans pocket.

It was written on, I noticed, and not computer-printed like the other music I'd seen in my life. Granted, I hadn't seen very much of it.

"Come on," he said, offering me his hand once more as he walked back to the dining room to set the table, just as Esme had commanded.

**A/N: So there we have it... the sixteenth chapter of Dark Waltz. I really hope you'll all support my decision to take things slow with Bella. Realistically, Bella can't be expected to fully trust Carlisle after only one friendly interaction with him. She's still hesitant... someone's past is harder to overcome than anyone (even myself, to an extent) can understand.**

**Please leave a review!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 17**

**A/N: At last! The next installment. I meant to update much earlier this week, but thanks to a huge overload of schoolwork (final exams this week and semester 2 starts on February 1st), I was unavailable. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**PS: To those of you feeling for Bella, I understand completely. Just keep in mind that just because she's with people who love and care for her, it doesn't mean immediate sunshine and rainbows. I CAN assure you that this story will not end like Fade to Grey did (bittersweet) and that I DO strive for an HEA. It's in the planning, at least :)**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

BPOV

The spaghetti dinner was a complete success last night, getting compliments from everyone who ate. Esme truly was a phenomenal cook, being able to whip up a proper meal out of almost nothing at all.

Who knew that with the right spices, a few tomatoes, peppers, legumes and some ground beef could make such a delicious meal? I sure didn't, until Esme served me a portion of noodles and sauce, letting me try as much as I wanted. For the first time since my arrival, I took seconds, enjoying the taste of the sweet, salty sauce with all its components.

Emmett had wiped a pretend tear from his eye, announcing to the table that I really _was _related to him by blood. He'd been very excited- almost ridiculously so- about me eating two plates of food. Carlisle watched me with his interested blue eyes as well at my food intake, obviously pleased with me.

He kept to himself, though, and I was glad. Doctor Cullen was a sore spot for me right now, especially under Edward's scrutinizing eyes. I knew he was watching my every interaction with his father, no matter how mild or insignificant it was. His eyes flickered between me and everyone at the table as for the first time, he took some interest in each of the separate, tenuous relationships.

That night had been another productive one even after dinner, since Jasper decided that he wanted to guide me through the seventh chapter of _Charlotte's Web._ Although I was on tenterhooks with him, I felt a sense of pride when I let him sit next to me and point out words, his voice low and excited as it always was when he was talking books. He explained why things were written the way they were and gave me a brief overview of the author's life.

Jasper was very well schooled in the world of books. I discovered after our chapter was complete that he read everything, from encyclopedias to medical textbooks to fantasy to biographies. Jasper just loved reading.

Alice had announced that she'd caught him reading an instruction manual once when he'd run out of normal things to read. He really was an enthusiastic, eager teacher for someone like me.

He was a little easier to tolerate, now that I knew he was the one with access to all the books. Jasper had an enormous private stash, he'd divulged, and any time I wanted to take a look all I had to do was ask.

That was much harder than Alice's calm, blonde boyfriend would ever know.

I'd slept well last night, dreaming of spiders and word-webs and pigs and farms. Jake had protected me from all the bad things lurking in my head and with his snuffling snores, I'd felt very safe and secure. His fur was warm and his breathing steady- a sort of rhythmic, muffled, unique lullaby that would put me to sleep in minutes.

Jake was a constant, and I loved him for it. He never got angry with me, he never changed his quirky, defiant ways and he definitely never stopped loving me, no matter how many times I woke him up with my bad dreams.

No, Jake was forever my friend, and I think I loved him just as much as he loved me.

Today was different, however. For once, almost everyone in the house was gone out someplace at the same time- Emmett was out with Rosalie looking at a new part for his Jeep in Seattle, Alice was gone to visit a girl from school named Angela, Jasper was gone with Emmett and Rose to Seattle for a change of scenery, Carlisle was working his day shift at the hospital and Edward was gone to the Port Angeles music store to buy himself some new CDs.

Esme was in the sitting room, flicking through some paperwork and I was in the kitchen, finishing up with my bowl of oatmeal.

Apple cinnamon oatmeal, I'd discovered, was very nice to have in the mornings. It smelled good and tasted sweet.

This morning, I'd woken up to find Esme sitting right where I was now, a large stack of important-looking papers in her hands. I couldn't make out much of the text before she whisked it away with a smile, but I did catch my name- Isabella- on one of the sheets.

The large brown envelope had looked foreboding, even to me.

"Esme?" I called after my bowl was rinsed out in the sink. It was much easier to resist the urge to wash it now that I knew for sure Esme wouldn't punish me for not doing it.

"Sitting room, dear," she called back, making me smile slightly as I moved into the room, catching her as she stacked the papers and put them back in the envelopes.

"What's that?" I asked idly, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Paperwork," she said vaguely, brushing it off. I watched as the white stack disappeared entirely, sliding into the storage basket under her coffee table.

"Is it about me?" I asked sadly, making her sigh.

"Yes, sweetheart," she admitted, "but it's nothing for you to worry about. It was from Danielle."

"Danielle?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't heard from the woman who brought me here since she sent that nasty Denise Loren to interrogate me.

"Yes dear," said Esme. "Danielle sent me some documents from Phoenix."

"Is it about _him?" _I asked nervously.

"Don't worry about it," she repeated, smiling. She invited me to sit next to her, which I did most carefully while she flicked through channels, settling on the Home and Garden network- a station we both enjoyed. In her spare time, Esme did some interior design work, and I knew she got ideas from shows like these.

Now, however, it was _House Hunters, _not _Holmes on Homes _as I'd wanted, and we watched as a couple chose their perfect dream home from the three presented by the agent.

"Are those bad papers?" I asked after a few minutes of silence, not liking the professional look of them.

They were too doctor-y.

"No, sweetheart," she said, ever patient. "Just some things to go through about your new medication."

"Oh."

The show played on and soon enough, Esme was reading a magazine instead of those Phoenix papers.

I was too curious for my own good, and I knew I was going to get myself into trouble.

"Why don't you bring Jake out for a walk?" suggested Esme softly as Jake came bumbling into the room, looking ready to cause mischief.

"Sure," I said excitedly, glad to have a distraction. Jake, having heard his most favourite word perked up happily his ears up and his head cocked to the side.

"Walk?" I said again, watching with intense amusement as his tail thumped the floor and he let out a puppy-like whine.

"Show me your leash," I instructed in a gentle, sing-song voice. True to his Jake-like nature, he jumped up and bounded for the door, returning not two seconds later with the red leash in his slobbery mouth. He dropped it noisily at my feet, waiting for the praise for his trick, which came abundantly.

"Good boy," I cooed, patting his head. Esme chuckled as he licked my hand impatiently, almost saying "thank you" before he got up on all four paws and did a little twirl of excitement, the idea of going outside of his yard too much excitement for his dog-mind to react rationally.

"Go to the door," I instructed. Over the past weeks, Jake had been working steadily on learning new commands and making himself useful. He now knew how to sit, stay, lay down, go to the door and bring me his leash. He also knew what "wait" meant, when he was at the back door for his morning business.

"He's learned quite a bit with you," noted Esme gently, smiling at me as I took up Jake's leash. "Mind you be careful with him, and don't let him pull," she advised. I nodded.

"Emmett left his phone for you by the door, just in case. Take it with you, please."

"Okay Esme," I said easily. If carrying a phone meant Esme wouldn't worry over me, I'd do it all the time. Jake was waiting exactly where I'd told him to, sitting on his haunches next to the white door as I slipped on my shoes, trying my hardest to ignore the loud thumping of his tail against the hardwood.

"Wait a second," I scolded gently, not _truly _angry with his impatience. He halted all movement and focused solely on me as I took my rain jacket and zipped it up, snapping the metal clip onto the silver ring on Jake's matching red collar. He tugged me forward slightly, making me frown and rebuke him before I opened the door and prayed he'd behave himself.

He was a perfect gentleman-dog as he let me lead us down the stairs. It was almost as if he knew that yanking me around would only cause me harm, and stop his walks for good.

Lord knew he was too bad for anyone else to walk. He behaved for _me, _not for Carlisle or Emmett or even Alice.

And Jake _loved _Alice.

"Come on," I urged, bringing him forward to the edge of the driveway. The brick path was long, but with Jake, it felt short.

I'd be going into town with him today, and I hoped that he'd behave…

"This way," I urged, pulling the leash to the left. He bounded out ahead of me, sniffing every available stick and stone along the way. He peed on trees and barked at cars, but all in all, he did well.

By the time Jake and I hit the main part of Forks twenty minutes later, he was overexcited.

"Calm down," I urged, knowing that the last thing Esme needed was to have Jake and I returned to her in a police car because Jake had decided that his morning entertainment would involve terrorizing the good people of Forks.

I'd never been to the main part of Forks by myself before, and I felt both empowered and apprehensive about this decision. On one hand, it proved that I was able to do it- I could go out all by myself and not have anyone bother me, but on the other, it could prove a complete disaster.

It all depended on what I did and who I met along the way- with any luck, I'd stay away from strange, light-haired men.

"Where to, puppy?" I asked softly, letting Jake sniff his way down the sidewalk.

People stared at him, but I didn't mind as he stopped to pee on the fire hydrant. He was big- almost _too _big- but he was being nice enough, deciding it was unnecessary to bark at innocent passersby.

He even let a little boy rub his ears- something that had scared me until I realized he was going to behave. A small boy had torn his hand away from his mother and darted out to us crying "Puppy! Puppy!" and his frantic mother had been beside herself as her tiny son approached the massive beast, thrusting his sticky hands in Jake's face.

Ice cream had been his saving grace- Jake couldn't resist licking the sugary mess off of the boy's hands, earning him a large hug as the child swung his arms around his neck.

"Thanks lady," he'd said to me as his mother apologized profusely, promising to keep her son in line. I heard words such as "bite you" and "dangerous" as they walked away, the mother obviously not liking that her boy had approached a strange, vicious-looking beast of a dog.

But Jakey had behaved wonderfully.

"Nice puppy," I cooed softly, making him kiss my hand as well. I made sure his collar was still comfortable around his neck before we started off again, coming across the camping gear store Edward and I had visited.

Newton's.

"Hey!" cried a distantly familiar voice, making me turn quickly.

The blonde, baby-faced boy with the blue eyes was coming at me, his face smiling.

"What's up?" he asked loudly, attracting a lot of attention. "Bella, right?"

"Yes," I squeaked, feeling my heart rate climbing. Jake stood stiffly by my side, his muscles tense against my leg.

"Who's this?" he asked, eying Jake carefully as the dog stared him down.

Jake didn't like Michael Newton.

"Jake," I said softly. Jake's head twitched at the sound of his name but focused once again on the boy in front of me instead of his name being called.

"Hey Jake," said Michael Newton carefully, putting his hand out slowly.

Jake growled- a deep, reverberating sound deep in his chest.

"Hey," I scolded shakily. Jake looked up at me sadly before his ears flattened and he fell into an anxious silence.

_Time to leave Michael Newton alone._

"I've got to go," I stammered quickly, trying as hard as I could to force the panic down. Mike looked a little confused.

"Where?"

"Home," I said quickly. "Esme's waiting."

"Aw, Mrs. Cullen will be fine for a few more minutes," he bargained. "Talk with me."

His voice was strange and husky again, and I saw the fur on Jake's back rise up.

"Come on," he said, reaching his arm out.

I panicked.

"No, thank you." My voice was shaking terribly as Mike's face warped, turning from round and babyish to square and firm, his hair was lengthening and his voice deepening.

Mike and Doctor.

"I've got to go," I said again. "Please, I've got to go-"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I've got to go." A tear fell down my cheek and once again, Jake snarled.

"Stop that," I said firmly. "Let's find home," I encouraged.

"Let me walk you," he bargained. "I'd really like your number-"

"I have to go," I repeated.

Go, go, go.

Three, three, three.

"Jake, go," I urged, wanting the dog to give me an excuse to leave.

Jake stood up and tugged lightly on the leash, whining.

"Sit down," said Mike, glancing at the dog. Jake wasn't listening to him.

"Please, let me go," I begged, my voice taking on a tearful tone. Mike stared at me like I was crazy.

"Let's go for ice cream across the street," he bargained. "My treat."

"I have to go!" I cried hysterically.

Go, go, go.

Jake barked three times as well, his bark not warning and kindhearted, but loud and sharp. Mike moved slightly away from him, looking displeased as I felt myself falling to pieces.

"Come on, Bella," he said, exasperated. "All I want is a little bit of your time-"

"_It'll only take a little of your time, doll. Not like you have much to do anyways."_

"Get away from me!" I cried, gaining the attention of a few more passersby as Mike stared at me.

"What?" he demanded, his voice insulted. "Stop screaming-"

"_Don't scream, Isabella," he sneered. "You know what happens if you're too loud."_

_Zap._

"Please, please, please…" I cried, feeling my heart racing as I became lightheaded. Michael Newton backed up slightly as I leaned back up against the brick behind me, sinking slowly to the sidewalk.

People were beginning to stare.

"Are you alright?" he asked again, stepping forward.

Jake stepped in on my behalf, snarling and barking angrily. He didn't stop when I shushed him and that's when Mike Newton backed away, looking fearful for his own safety.

"Miss, are you alright?" asked a kind voice by my side, making me jump. I shook and shook and shook as I sat, feeling my breathing tightening.

"Who is she?" asked another. I heard Mike answer them with a small, quiet voice.

"Bella Swan," he said. "She's with the Cullens."

"Call Esme," suggested another. "She'll come and get her."

Jake nuzzled my shoulder with his warm nose, poking me incessantly. I felt his fur and I buried my face in it, trying to stall the tears.

Mike, Mike, Mike. Doctor, Doctor, Doctor.

They were one and the same in that moment, and I grew infinitely more panicked. Mike would burn me. Mike would choke me. Mike would zap me and Mike would hurt me. I saw his hair glinting in the sunlight as a warbled, disorienting voice sounded from my side, talking.

"…on the corner of Main and Second," the voice said.

I tuned it out, focusing on Jake's fur instead.

It wasn't helping.

"…you okay?" The voice was muffled now, and I heard a strange, tearing sound coming from close by.

Jake barked- the worried bark he used when I was upset.

That sound was _me, _I realized. I was making that racket.

Esme would definitely have it in for me now, when she found out what I'd done.

"…coming," said another voice close to me- a woman voice. "She's on her way."

The tearing noise sounded again and I realized that it was the sound of my panic- it was the noise these tears made as they escaped my body.

They fell thick and fast now as I huddled against the cold stone wall, seeing nothing but the mass of brown that was Jake's neck.

It seemed so strange, sitting there in my panic. Had it been a second? A minute? An hour? A day? I had no idea how long it took, but before I could really think it over I heard a car door slam shut and hurried footsteps came closer.

"Excuse me," the familiar voice said. Feet came closer and I cringed into Jake's fur, knowing he was safe.

Jake would stand by me through this episode… Jake would still love me after I made a scene in downtown Forks.

"Oh sweetheart," said the voice, making me look up with my red eyes.

Esme.

"Come on over here," she coaxed gently. I cringed away from her when she went to touch me, but Jake didn't react at all.

Why wasn't he barking? Why wasn't he helping me?

He was so quiet…

"Come here, sweetheart, and we'll go home."

Home. That's right where I wanted to be. Not with Michael Newton and strangers on an unfamiliar street corner. I heard the tearing sound continue as Jake moved out of her way, letting her bring me to my shaking feet.

I wasn't sure my legs would even support me, but somehow, Esme managed to part the crowd of onlookers to let me into the backseat of her car. Jake leapt in the front with her, letting me curl up on the backseat to cry.

"You're alright," soothed Esme as she backed out of her impromptu parking space. "You're safe."

I cried.

Cried, cried, cried.

She spoke soothingly to me all the way home, obviously fearing for me as she brought me into the house, letting the dog go ahead of us.

Once in the living room, I collapsed onto the sofa in a pitiful heap, my breaths coming in short gasps. Esme rushed over and tried to speak soothingly, failing in her mission.

"What happened?" she asked gently, rubbing soothing circles on my back. My sentence was choppy and unintelligible as I babbled as best I could about the blonde boy and the doctor, and how they'd morphed into one right in front of me. Mike had turned into Doctor Dupont.

She didn't understand me.

"Relax," she soothed in her gentle voice, trying her very hardest. "I'll grab you an Ativan."

I shivered strongly as she stood and left the room quickly, returning some minutes later with a little white pill and a glass of juice.

"Take it, please," she begged, offering it to me in her outstretched hand.

Esme, not Doctor.

Esme.

I took her medicine, gulping it down quickly as I laid back down, taking the tissue she offered me. My heart was still racing as Jake came and laid his head on my lap, looking alarmed. I patted him lightly, the familiar soft weight a comfort to me, not a hindrance. Esme was sitting on the same sofa as me, watching me for signs of further distress as the pill took hold of me- the soothing balm on my rough, rocky emotions.

I felt myself calming down, though the tears continued as I took in all that had happened in such a short timeframe.

"You're alright," said Esme gently as I glanced around, feeling very lost. What had happened in town today?

I'd been doing so well with my panic, and now, I'd fallen short again.

Carlisle would be upset later, and that idea scared me. I felt another round of tears coming on- not half as strong as the last- but still there nonetheless.

"Don't cry," said Esme gently. "Please, don't cry."

I cried anyways, and she scooted over, wrapping both arms around me as I threatened to curl in on myself once more.

"There," she soothed as I let the floodgates open, letting out all the sad and hurt. The sound wasn't half as loud as it was in town- no ripping tears- but instead there was a sadder sound, a keening crying that shook every muscle I had. I felt Esme's gentle hands on my back and hair as she swayed gently, letting me cry on her all I wanted. She spoke gentle words- none of which made much sense to me- and I felt myself growing more and more worn out as time went on.

I had no idea how long I stayed on her shoulder, crying, but before long it was done, and I was exhausted.

She didn't let me go, but grabbed the afghan she'd knitted a few years back and tossed it around me, keeping me snug and warm as she continue to sway.

"What happened?" she asked again, her voice quiet. I sniffled sadly and tried once more to explain myself.

"We were walking," I said pathetically. "Jake met a boy."

"Mike?" she guessed, making me shiver.

"No, a little one. He licked his hands because he had ice cream."

She nodded understandingly.

"Then?" she prompted.

"We were walking and he called out to me and I told him I had to go and Jake barked, but he wouldn't listen and I asked him again and again and again and he just ignored me and then he was the Doctor and I was so scared Esme! He would hurt me and he'd hurt Jake and you'd never come back and now Carlisle's going to be angry with me!"

"Slow down, honey," she said. "One part at a time."

I sniffled, trying to collect myself as best I could. I spoke into her shoulder once more, praying she'd be able to hear me anyways.

"We walked past his store," I recalled, "and he was there. He said "Hey!" and I turned and he was there."

"And he scared you?" she guessed. "Did you know who he was?"

"I met him with Emmett at the movie," I whispered. "He wanted to call me." Esme nodded softly.

"Alright."

"He kept trying to talk to me and I tried to make him go away but he wouldn't," I said. "He tried to touch my hand and I pulled it back and yelled at him, and then I remembered things-"

"What things?" she interjected, her voice quietly serious.

"Institute things," I whispered. "His stun gun."

She sighed and closed her eyes, looking pained.

"Then other people came and Jake barked, and…" I trailed off. "I panicked." My voice was a pathetic whisper by this point.

"They called you, and you came to get me and I cried, and now I'm talking."

She remained silent, keeping her hold on me.

"That's it," I finished lamely, wondering why she hadn't spoken yet.

I felt a warm tear hit my shoulder and I pulled away, appalled. She wiped her eyes quickly and pulled me back into her embrace, sniffling quietly.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said sadly.

"Why?" I was confused now, and my head hurt.

My hands were still shaking.

"Because no one should have to go through that," she said earnestly. "Especially not you."

I sighed and cleared my throat, laying my sore head back down on her shoulder.

Esme was very kind to me, and I loved her all the more for it.

"I love you," she told me in her honest, sincere voice. I felt another flood of feeling rushing up as the pill's full effect began to suppress any extreme feelings, but not even the pill could stop that one, final tear from oozing out.

"I love you too," I said honestly, adoring the feeling that came with those words.

Esme and Alice were the ones who told me they loved me, and I loved hearing it.

I liked knowing that _someone_ loved me, even if it was only Alice and her mother.

Everyone needed to be loved by _someone._

She hugged me even tighter at my admission and held me close, letting the pill reign in any rampant emotion that had slipped past the earlier effects. It only added to my drowsiness.

"Are you tired?" she asked gently, as if she could read my mind. I saw her watching me carefully as my eyes drooped against her, but my arms showed no signs of wanting to let her go.

Esme had made me safe, and I wanted her to stay right where she was.

"No," I lied, knowing that I'd be put to bed if she found out. She saw through my lie as easily as ever, sighing.

"Come on and rest," she said. "You've overexerted yourself today, I think."

I agreed with her but refused to move, shaking my head.

I needed her right there, where I could have her love me still- who knows what she'd think of me if she forced me away from her?

"Come on, honey," she tried again. "Let's go lay down."

I shook my head and she sighed heavily, patting my hair down. I suddenly wondered what it looked like- probably as knotted and wind tossed as it had ever been.

"Let's go up to my room," she suggested. "I'll lay down with you, if that's what you want."

She'd come with me?

Slowly, she let me go and took my arms off of her, making me frown as I teared up again.

"I'm not leaving you," she vowed. "Don't you worry about that. We're going to move upstairs, alright?"

I nodded carefully, watching as she took my hand in one of hers, carrying the glass of juice in the other. I brought the afghan with me, feeling shivery as we traipsed up the steps, stopping a floor sooner than I normally would. Esme brought me to the end of the hallway, letting me into the bedroom she and Carlisle shared.

I couldn't even bring myself to care that he also slept in there… right now, she was what was safe. This was the safe person's safe room, making it even safer than I could imagine in my wildest dreams.

"Lay down," she urged softly, placing me on her side of the bed.

"Hello?" called a voice from the lower floor, making Esme sigh. She lifted her finger to me, signalling one minute as she moved out of the room and towards the stairs.

"We're up here Emmett," she said gently. I heard my brother moving around downstairs as Esme came back in the room, laying herself beside me.

I cuddled closer, needing to feel that contact. I _needed _Esme.

"Hey, what are you-" he started, his voice right outside the door as my eyes- which had drifted closed- became heavy and sleepy.

"Emmett, come on," said another voice- Rosalie- also close by.

"What's going on?" he asked worriedly. "Is she sick again?"

"She's alright," admitted Esme gently. "We had a little episode."

"How 'little'?" asked Emmett, coming inside. I cracked my bleary eyes open when I felt his hand on my forehead.

"I'll talk to you about it later," said Esme gently. "She's not supposed to overdo it."

Emmett frowned worriedly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Rosalie watched from the doorway, trying not to be obtrusive.

I clung to their mother, wishing with all my heart that Esme was _my _mother. She was very good at it.

"Boo?"

I stared at him, sniffling as Esme shushed me gently.

"Not now, Emmett," she warned. "She's had enough for today."

"I know," he said softly. "You're exhausted," he accused, watching me.

I shrugged, trying to keep my eyes in focus. Everything felt heavy.

"Is she okay?" he asked again, making Esme sigh.

"She's doing very well," admitted Esme. "It was rough, but we got through it, right Bella?"

I nodded as best I could, still holding onto Esme's sleeve.

As long as _some _part of her stayed close. I sniffled irrationally at the idea of her leaving me-

"What happened?" asked Emmett again, his voice more desperate as Rosalie frowned, glancing at me with a small, encouraging smile.

Rosalie was a very nice girl, I decided.

"She had a run in with the Newton boy in town when she brought Jake out for a walk," she said. Jake, who was on the end of the bed, perked up when he heard his name.

"What the fuck did he do now?" snarled Emmett, making me frown. Esme shushed him gently and whispered to me before she looked up at him.

"Nothing any other teenage boy wouldn't have done," she said. "He was trying to get her attention."

"I _told _him-" started Emmett.

"Please, not now," begged Esme, watching me nervously. "Carlisle will be upset enough about her panic attack, please don't set off a second."

"Sorry Boo," he said softly. "You get better."

I shivered under my afghan, making Esme pull the covers up to my chest. Emmett watched me for a long moment before he bent down and gave my cheek a rough kiss- something he'd never done since I'd come here and left the room without another word, letting the door click shut behind him.

"Carlisle's mad?" I croaked sadly, suddenly fearing him again.

"Not at you, sweetheart, never at you," she assured me. "He just wants you safe and sound."

I nodded, trying my hardest to believe her.

"He'll be upset at the situation, not at you. He loves you, Bella, just like he loves Rosalie and Alice."

Just like Edward said- Carlisle loved me just like he loved my sister. He loved me like I was his daughter- not a stranger he'd taken in.

Carlisle was a strange man.

"Close your eyes," she encouraged gently as she slid herself down onto her husband's pillows, letting me lay on hers. My fists clenched her shirt tightly in my fingers even as my eyes drooped, the Ativan threatening to drag me under.

"Sleep," she urged, making my resolve falter as the sleep tugged at me even harder, making it impossible to resist.

Almost as soon as Esme pulled the blankets up higher, the medication won the battle, and I succumbed to the tempting slumber it provided.

**A/N: I'm curious... now that we know that Bella has health issues, a lot of people say this story is a little unpredictable (in a good way). I want to see if anyone knows where the health portion of the story is going. Let me know if you have any theories in your reviews!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 18**

**A/N: Hey everyone... I know this is a shorter update, but exams are coming up this week and there's been a lot going on! I hope to be able to update again once my exams are finished on Wednesday. ALSO: please read the note at the end! I need your help!**

EmPOV

"Just talk to her," said Rosalie gently, for the fourth time in a hour. I watched her with sceptical eyes, not knowing exactly what to say whilst "talking".

"And say what?" I asked exasperatedly. "Hi Bella, do you mind if I abandon you in a year?"

"Emmett, come on," she said angrily. "You're not _abandoning _anyone."

"It feels like it," I said honestly, knowing there was no point in lying to her. Rosalie could see past any of my masks better than anyone else.

"You're not," she repeated. "You're going off to school."

"In another state," I reminded her. "U of W wouldn't be bad, but we're talking _Yale, _Rose, in Connecticut."

"You'll be home for Christmases, Thanksgivings, Easters, breaks…" she trailed off. "If I know _anything _about your sister, I know that Bella won't want you to put your life on hold just for her. She'll feel bad."

I sighed, shaking my head. The last thing I wanted to do right now was upset Bella, but Rosalie and I had both just gotten our acceptance letters to the Ivy League school we'd applied to on our way home from Seattle. They'd agreed to deter our acceptances for a year, if that's what we wanted, because of Bella's situation.

Universities ate that shit up- they loved the "overcoming family hardships" deal. Rose and I were both foster kids- my parents were dead, hers unfit to parent anyone, and my sister had been interred in a fucked up mental ward and was relying on me to care for her.

The good high school grades didn't hurt either, and thanks to all of the above, Yale was willing to take us this year, or next- whichever suited us better.

I wasn't leaving this year, I knew that much, and Rosalie had adamantly refused to go away to school without me.

I loved her.

"Bella should be fine if you talk to her about it," she reasoned. "There's no reason why she'd panic."

"Yeah, but what if she does?" I said fearfully. "God, Rose, she has a heart problem and she had a major freak out earlier in town. She can only take so much."

"If we leave next year, she'll still have Carlisle and Esme for sure," she reasoned. "Alice, Edward and Jasper too, if they stay a fifth year."

"Still," I said.

My concerns weren't solely about Bella. _I _didn't want to leave her when she was so vulnerable- so raw and hurt that she could barely function on a day-to-day basis. I wanted to stay with her- or take her with me- to make sure she was safe, sound, secure and most of all, happy.

Nothing meant more to me than Bella's happiness.

"Still nothing," chastised Rosalie- always practical, honest and blunt. Those qualities were only some of the things I enjoyed about her.

"I can't leave her like this," I said honestly, watching as her eyes dampened sympathetically, knowing something of how Bella was feeling.

"I know," she said. "We're not going in next month regardless, but you'll have to go to school somewhere besides Forks, sometime in the future."

"I know."

"Just explain to her that you were accepted, and that you're going to be leaving soon. If she takes it badly, give her a little time to cope and approach her again."

"What if she freaks out?" I asked fearfully.

I prayed Rose had my answer.

"Calm her down," she reasoned. "Tell her you're not going away for good, that you'll call, write, e-mail, whatever it takes to keep in contact. You'll see her often enough and you'll be able to come back to Forks or Seattle after you graduate, if you want to keep close to her."

I nodded sadly, watching as she leaned forward, her face much closer to mine.

"You'll be fine," she said softly, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "I promise."

I hoped she'd be able to keep her word.

"Go talk to her," she encouraged. "Esme said she woke up about twenty minutes ago, and they're watching television upstairs."

"Yeah," I said, giving her a gentle hug before I faced the staircase- scared for the first time in a long while.

The only other time I'd feared these stairs is when Jasper and I had gotten it into our heads to watch _The Exorcist _when we were really young, and we'd seen the girl scuttling down the stairs backwards.

We'd scared the shit out of ourselves, and had gotten an angry mouthful from Esme about watching inappropriate movies when she and Carlisle went out to dinner and left us alone for the first time in our short lives.

_Just go,_ I thought, knowing it was pointless to linger and brood over what was to come. Either Bella wouldn't panic or she would, regardless of when I breached the subject. With a heavy heart, I moved up the staircase, my footsteps echoing on the wood each time.

My parents' room had never come so quickly, and I was suddenly at a loss for words… I didn't want her to have a panic attack on me.

"Emmett?" asked Esme's soft, gentle voice from inside as she saw me hesitate outside the door. I glanced up and saw Bella's startled face watching me as well, her eyes bright and glossy from her recent bout of crippling fear and subsequent medication.

"Hey," I said to both of them, watching as Esme shot me a small smile. She'd seen my letter not twenty minutes ago, before Bella had woken up. Esme, Rosalie and I had briefly discussed our options, and she knew that we planned to stay back a year, especially now that Bella had found her way home.

"I'll let you talk," she said, kissing my sister's head gently as she rested on Esme's pillows, watching me intently.

She didn't _look _too uncomfortable as Esme left the room, leaving me to hesitate before I went in, closing the door.

It wasn't often that I went into my parents' bedroom with the intent of spending much time in there.

"Hey Boo," I said softly, trying as hard as I could to keep my voice gentle and quiet. No need to startle her with excessive noise.

"Hi," she said softly, watching as I sat down next to her. She sat up carefully, her face reddening as she glanced down at the cream-coloured bedspread, looking embarrassed.

"We need to talk," I began hesitantly, watching as her face changed from embarrassed to anxious to fearful in the space of a few seconds.

"It's nothing bad," I added quickly. "I promise."

She glanced up with the brown eyes that were so similar to my own, staring steadily.

"What about?" she asked softly, sounding hesitant.

Bella was always scared to ask me a direct question, no matter how minor or insignificant.

"Me," I said honestly, earning me a frown.

"What did you do?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing bad," I said again, laughing gently. "It's about next year."

"Next year?" she asked confusedly. "Like January, next year?"

"September," I corrected.

"_This _September?"

"Next year's September," I offered, hoping she'd get it.

"Oh."

"Rosalie and I were accepted to Yale," I said.

"What's a Yale?" she asked innocently. I resisted the urge to laugh, knowing I'd just embarrass her.

"Yale is a university in Connecticut," I explained. "It's really good."

"Oh." Her face looked saddened.

"I was wondering what you'd think if I went next September."

"Where's Connecticut?" she asked sadly.

"East," I explained. "Pretty far."

She frowned sadly, sighing softly.

"I don't mind," she said, her voice betraying her lie.

She _did _mind, and she minded a lot.

"Bella," I said sadly. "You don't have to lie."

She looked up again, red-faced.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are," I said easily.

She sniffled, and I backtracked quickly.

"Shit, don't cry, please-"

"Sorry," she blurted, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She controlled herself wonderfully, putting on an indifferent mask as she looked up at me again.

"Rosalie and I are both going," I said quickly, getting all the information out in a rush. She watched me with that eerie mask of indifference for a long moment before she nodded, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Bella?" I prompted, wanting her thoughts. She cleared her throat before she spoke.

"That's nice," she said gently, her voice sounding sad and unhappy.

I _knew _this would happen.

"We'd be back for Christmases," I promised quickly. "And Thanksgiving, Easter, spring break, summer break, and I'd call you often." She cracked a small smile, glancing up.

"No one's _ever _called me from far away before." I laughed at her change in mood, making her smile widen.

"I will," I vowed. "Rose will too, if you want her to."

She laughed gently, sounding tired.

"Rosalie's nice," she said, speaking with conviction. "She likes good movies."

"Glad you think so," I chortled.

"I do," she said firmly. "Better than _Face Punch, _anyways. Will you still be able to see your movies at Yale?" she asked.

"All the time," I said easily. "There are theatres there too."

"Good," she said, disliking the idea of my unhappiness.

"It'll be a while before we leave. More than a year," I explained gently. "You'll be fine by then."

"Hopefully," she said dully, looking upset again.

"I _know _you will be," I assured her. "You're doing great."

She didn't reply, but I already knew how she viewed herself. She had the lowest self-esteem I'd ever seen.

"You're okay with it?" I confirmed, elated that I'd gotten Bella's subtle approval. She sighed heavily, nodding her head.

"As long as you come back." The whisper was so quiet, I almost didn't hear it, but when I did, I pulled her into a tight hug.

"Of course I'll come back," I vowed. "I love you, Boo."

I felt her smile on my shoulder as her arms tightened and she pressed her face farther into my shoulder.

"Love you too," she said, her voice muffled. I grinned at her admission, rubbing my hand down her back gently. She seemed to enjoy the massage so I kept it up, watching as she relaxed right in front of me. Her arms slackened around me and I frowned momentarily, having been enjoying our quiet moment together, but her intentions were clarified when she snaked her arms underneath herself, resting her head against my chest.

She was so little compared to me, and she fit in my arms perfectly. My arms snaked around her curled form as I rested my chin on her hair, just letting the moment sink in. How many times had I dreamed of sitting like this over the past ten years? How many times had I thought I'd never see her again?

Too many times, I decided.

"Em?" she asked gently, making me grin.

"Hm?"

"Nothing," she said gently, breathing softly as I stayed very still.

"What?" I asked, making her frown, shaking her head. "Come on," I whined.

She giggled, glancing up again.

"Is Alice going away too?" she asked in a rush, making me frown.

"Not this year," I hesitated. "Alice still has a year left."

"Jasper?" she prodded.

"He's the same age as her. They both graduate this year with Eddie."

"Oh."

"I don't know if Alice is going away right after her last year or if she's taking a victory lap," I admitted.

I hoped Bella would be alright with whatever choice Alice made-

"What's a victory lap?" she blurted.

"A fifth year of high school after you've graduated. I did mine last year while Rose was still a senior."

"Oh," she said softly. "Okay."

"Are you okay?" I asked gently as she put her head back down against me heavily.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm better."

"Good," I said honestly. The dog- who I'd taken no notice of until now- snorted lightly by Bella's feet, giving her toes a lick. She squealed, jerking up at the sudden sensation. Jake eyes widened in surprise as she glared at him haughtily.

"Don't lick feet," she grumbled unhappily, making me snicker loudly as Jake jumped off the bed, stretching, and left the room entirely. She stared after him in a sort of shock before she got a handle on herself, looking up at me indignantly.

"Does he always do that?" she queried, referring to his sudden desire to taste toes.

"No, but it doesn't shock me," I said with a shrug. "He's not very nice."

"Yes he is," she defended, her voice taking on a defensive tone for the first time in a long, long while.

I smiled at its return.

"He's very sweet."

"If you say so," I said, giving in.

If Bella had retained any of her old six year old self at all, I knew that arguing with her was pointless. Bella might have been the quietest of the three of us, but she was by far the most stubborn.

"Why don't you like him?" she asked sadly, her fears and concerns abolished for the moment.

Right now, she was just Bella- not the captive Bella, not the fearful Bella, not the sick, unhappy girl she was outside this room. She was just little Bella- my tough, argumentative, decisive baby sister.

"Because he's rude, obnoxious, smelly and loud," I said easily. "And he drools."

Her brows flew together in a deep, offended frown.

"You can be rude too, you know," she quipped, making me stare in amazement. "And I'm sure you're obnoxious and smelly sometimes, and you _are_ loud. I know that for sure."

"I don't drool," I offered happily, grinning.

"But you beg Esme for food," she said wickedly. "You did just yesterday."

_Touché, Bella._

I fell silent, suppressing laughter as she drew comparisons between myself and Alice's canine friend. If Alice had drawn such accurate comparisons between Jake and I it would have been the loud beginnings of an angry argument, but with Bella, it was different.

She needed some spice and personality… she was far too hesitant for her own good.

"Well, well," I teased easily. "Look who's gotten saucy."

Her eyes widened as she stared at me, looking nervous again. I cursed inwardly as I saw her stiffen up, pulling away from my embrace because of my poorly-chosen jest. Before she could scuttle to the far end of the bed like her instincts were screaming at her to do, I tugged her back, hugging her tightly.

"Saucy is a good thing, Bell," I said gently, praying to whatever deity might be listening for Bella to understand. She stared at me long and hard before she hesitantly leaned her head against me, watching my every move.

I kept my face blank, knowing any anger towards myself for my poor choice of words would be interpreted as anger towards her for _fulfilling _those words. I'd screwed up with her enough already. There was no need to add fuel to the fire yet again.

"Sorry," she said sadly, making me sigh again.

I kept myself blank again, not wanting her to get the wrong idea.

Carlisle, I decided, was very, very wrong. There was no way I could show my real feelings to Bella- even my regular day-to-day feelings- without her having an episode. She just wasn't ready for that yet, and I couldn't bear to be the one to finally push her over the edge. I couldn't be the one to break her again, to force her to do something rash and impulsive.

I didn't know much about mental health- much less _Bella's _mental health- but I did know that when people were under too much pressure, they'd snap. When things got to be too much for the mind to handle, it could drive people to the edge and sometimes, they fell.

I had a secret fear that my Bella would do something stupid. I was terrified that once her entire situation caught up with her- the sadness, the injustice, the inadequacy that she was sure to feel- she'd snap like a feeble twig and go extremes to get her relief.

I was scared that Bella, once she was more educated, would try to kill herself.

The very thought upset me beyond belief, and it took everything I had to remain calm and properly protective as my mind was assaulted by vivid images of her- be it in her washroom with slashed wrists, hanging from a noose in her closet or on the floor with an empty pill bottle beside her. Every single one of those scenarios terrified me, and I could only hope she'd never go there.

Nothing would be more painful than to lose Bella because of something she did to herself. It would be infinitely more painful than anything I'd felt when our parents died, more painful than when Alice and I had found out that no, Bella hadn't in fact been brought with us to Carlisle and Esme. More painful than losing Rosalie or Jasper or Edward.

More painful, I thought, than losing _Alice _would be. Alice, my other little sister- the one I'd grown up with, played with, laughed with, cried with- not even losing her could compare to what I'd feel if we lost Bella. At least with Alice, I'd had some _time._

If there was one thing I couldn't protect her from, it was herself.

"Don't you be sorry," I scolded gently, trying to keep my voice from shaking or quivering.

She'd be sure to catch on, and misinterpret my motives yet again.

_She isn't dead, _I reminded myself._ She hasn't hurt herself, and she's right here. _

I took comfort in that thought, holding onto her tightly. I felt her snake her arms around me once more as I squished her, my fear far outweighing the prospect of hurting her.

My hugs were firm, but not so hard that they'd cause her physical harm.

"You know I love you, right?" I confirmed, making her shift her body closer to my head. I felt her hair tickling my chin, but I let it be.

"I know," she said confidently. "I love you too."

I sensed her joy at the words, knowing how much love she'd been deprived of during the last ten years of her life. During times that had been so evolutionary and life-changing for Alice- starting first grade, making new friends, discovering the politics that governed the elementary school's playground at recess, puberty, bodily changes, boyfriends, high school- Bella had been locked away. No one had been there to comfort her when she was upset, to explain the changes that were going on with her- both physically and mentally. She'd had no one but herself to turn to in that disgusting institution she'd called home, and it was only natural that the cycle was hard to break. She'd relied on herself for far too long to simply let go of her old habits and assimilate herself into our family-oriented, co-dependent lives.

Bella was having a hard time letting go of who she was, which was preventing her from becoming who she should be. Though the past was no longer taking place, it had its hooks in her and was pulling her back.

Every step she took was somehow hindered or undone by the reality that was her life. One step forward, two steps back.

But this time, with my impending leave, she'd taken a great leap. Two steps forward, and if fate was kind, there would be no steps back.

_I could hope._

**A/N: I really enjoy getting into Emmett's head- he's often underused in fanfiction and I really enjoy using him (as anyone who's read my other fanfiction already knows). Emmett's often portrayed as silly or overly-happy (and I love him that way... we need some comic relief) but he also has a deeper side to him. His fears and concerns are definitely valid and reasonable (though Bella will NOT kill herself- don't be afraid of that!)**

**Now for the "help": I read a story on this site a while back (months and months ago) about a story where Bella is a modern-day mail-order bride. Edward "buys" her and I'm pretty sure Carlisle got Esme from the same place. I cannot, for the life of me, find the story on the site! I want to reread it and I want to know if any one of you know which story I'm talking about (maybe it's your story!). If you know what story I'm talking about, please let me know in your reviews!**

**Thanks so much!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 19**

BPOV

"C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C," said Edward again, for the fourth time in fifteen minutes. I frowned in concentration as my fingers jabbed the keys angrily, frustrated.

Eight buttons… how hard was it to get it right?

Edward had decided that today, he was teaching me to play his piano and I had to say, it was proving to be an epic failure.

"That's D," he explained as I pushed the white key I thought was correct. Frowning, I took my fingers off of the piano completely, glaring at the innocent instrument that was beyond me. Once again, Edward's hands flew over the keys, a perfect scale resonating through the cavernous music room.

"Like that," he encouraged.

"I can't do it," I said, exasperated as he put my hand on the right key. I played the scale very slowly, knowing that one slip of my hand would mess it up and he'd make me do it again.

I could do it when Edward put my finger on the first key, but when he didn't, I was at a loss. There were just too many buttons.

"Good," he said gently, watching me with his green eyes. Edward, though an excellent pianist, was proving to be a very impatient teacher.

"Now try on your own."

I sighed heavily, gently pushing down the key I believed was the one I started from.

"That's B, Bella," he said sharply, making me frown.

"Well, you do it then," I said, finally losing my patience. My stupidity was proving to be a huge hurdle when it came to piano playing, and _that _wasn't something that was going away any time soon. I watched as Edward sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose tightly before he got a handle on himself, looking slightly mollified.

"Sorry," he said softly. "I don't mean to be rude."

"I suck at this," I said bluntly. "You play."

"You should learn," he argued. "It's a good thing to get into."

"Not when you suck at it," I repeated. "I'm no good. I'll read instead." He grinned at me, sitting down on the vacant spot on the bench.

"Don't you like piano?" he asked, sounding a little nervous. I'd told him before that I did, and I knew he was wondering whether or not I'd lied to him.

I'd discovered over the past days that Edward _hated _when I lied to him to try and make him happy. He said he'd rather have the truth upset him than to have me tell a falsehood that would please him.

"No, I do," I said quickly, "just not when I'm playing."

He laughed softly, nodding his head as he glanced at the clock.

"Well, you lasted about an hour," he said with a shrug. "Better than Alice."

I giggled. Edward had explained to me how much Alice had wanted to learn, only to give up forty five minutes into her first lesson, claiming that Edward was a terribly impatient, snappy teacher who was better off sticking to what he was good at.

Edward hated hearing sour notes coming out of his precious instrument.

I shifted, frowning when I had to scratch at my chest. Before Carlisle had left for work at six this morning, he'd woken me up from my sleep and explained to me that before he left, he was going to attach the Holter monitor from Doctor Denali. I was groggy and tired as he stuck the electrodes to me and explained what I should do- don't get the machine wet, don't take off the electrodes and don't fiddle with the tape.

Easy enough, I thought, until I woke up twenty minutes later, the tape itching up a storm. Poor Jake probably thought I had fleas or something.

"Is it uncomfortable?" asked Edward sympathetically, making me frown.

"It itches," I admitted. "The tape feels weird whenever I move." He nodded, glancing down at the black box attached to my belt.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked gently, making me nod.

"Fine," I admitted. "Not even panicky." He smiled happily at me, making me nod as he let his fingers slide over the piano keys easily.

I was green with envy, but enjoyed the sound anyways. I'd _kill _to be able to play like he did.

"You know," he started, "it really is easy to do, once you get the hang of it."

I smiled gently.

"For some people," I said simply. "Not for others."

"I think you'd get it eventually," he insisted. "Practice makes perfect."

"Or practice makes the rest of the house deaf," I returned. He laughed indulgently, watching me with his sparking, emerald eyes.

Emeralds, I'd learned, were bright green stones, and as soon as Jasper had explained that to me, I instantly thought of Edward's green eyes.

_Emerald Edward, _I thought, resisting the urge to giggle. They were both "E" words.

"I doubt you'd deprive anyone of their hearing," he said gently. "Emmett's more likely to beat you to that with his god-awful music."

I giggled happily at the memory of Emmett's nasty music choice from our trip to the theatre. Rosalie hadn't liked it much either.

"I know," I said conspiratorially. "When we went to the theatre that time, Rosalie got so mad at him for-"

"Bella!" called Alice loudly, her voice echoing through the room. Both Edward and I turned as my sister flew into the room, looking very excited.

"You're coming with me," she said authoritatively, making me frown.

"Where?" I asked nervously. She beamed at me.

"We, sister-mine, are going shopping in Port Angeles!" she squealed, making me frown.

Shopping with Alice?

"Edward can come too," she added, shrugging as Edward sighed. He glanced over at me and I watched him, hoping he'd come.

Emmett had told me that Alice went a little crazy in shopping malls… I didn't want to be all alone in public with Crazy Alice.

"Oh Bella, it'll be so fun!" she called, her voice nearly shaking with excitement. I couldn't bear to let her down, so I simply nodded softly, knowing very well that after my last episode in public with Mike Newton, there was no way this was going to be _fun._

"We'll get you some clothes, and some new books, if you want them, and Esme said that you'll need a winter coat so we'll get to shop for that too!" her voice was so high and squealing that it was hard to keep up with what she was saying.

"Oh-"

"And guess what?" she said happily, interrupting me. "Since it's your first time out, I get to show you _everything!"_

"That's nice," I said robotically, a little alarmed by her enthusiasm. Edward looked grimly determined as he glanced up at me, looking sorry. Alice giggled again and kissed my cheek before she flounced out of the room, nearly vibrating with glee.

"We're leaving in twenty minutes!" she called from the sitting room, making me sigh as I turned to Edward.

"She's very excitable," I decided, nodding firmly. He laughed loudly, the rich sound echoing, just like everything did in this room. I watched as he sighed, closing the piano's cover before he offered me his hand, helping me up from my seat.

The tape still itched.

"Come on," he said, looking very worn out. "If I know your sister, her twenty minutes will turn into five."

I smiled at Alice's tactics, knowing from what I'd seen of her since I came here that nothing- and I mean, _nothing- _could keep her from her favourite hobby.

Sure enough, we met her as soon as we left the room- she was obviously on her way to bother us again.

"Great!" she cried. "You're ready early. Let's go."

Of course.

"Okay," I agreed passively, suddenly remembering what had happened last time Alice had gone shopping- Edward and I had gotten lost in the forest with Jake, and she'd been forced to come home because of me.

Shopping with her now was penance for cutting her other trip short.

"You've never been in my car, have you?" she asked excitedly, waiting impatiently for me as I tied my shoes slowly- it was still a little complicated sometimes, though I rarely ever messed it up anymore. Edward was waiting as well, though his eyes seemed to be telling me to take my time.

Edward did _not_ like shopping, I concluded.

"No," I admitted, making her that much more excited. When my shoes were properly fastened she grabbed my hand, letting Edward trail behind us as she moved to the garage. I didn't know much about the garage except that it was where everybody's cars stayed and until now, I'd had no reason to even go in there.

It was huge, to say the least.

At the front of the garage sat Edward's silver Volvo, shining in the bright lights. His was by far the cleanest car- no splatters of dirt or mud on the paint. Beside it sat Rosalie's red, roofless car, and beside that, Emmett's Jeep.

On the other side of the garage, facing the other cars, were three more vehicles. There was an empty space for what I knew was Carlisle's black car, and beside that, there was a little blue car.

An _Audi, _Edward had called it- Esme's car. Beside that was a sleek and shiny motorcycle, looking very sophisticated and frankly, dangerous.

Alice's car was the brightest of them all, standing out like a sore thumb. It was short and low to the ground, with big round headlights and a coat of the brightest yellow paint I'd ever seen.

It was shockingly bright.

"Here we go!" she cried. "You get in the back," she ordered sternly, pointing at Edward. Edward, not in the mood to complain about Alice's seating arrangements went obediently to the back as Alice opened the front door for me, ushering me inside. She slammed the door noisily behind me before she hopped into her driver's seat, grinning.

"We're going to have so much fun!" she said eagerly as she started her car, letting it idle for a moment before she pulled out of her driveway eagerly. She drove right out of the garage and down the winding brick road that led to the pavement road, going as fast as she dared. Edward leaned forward and rested his chin on the back of my chair, looking incredibly bored.

"What are we buying today?" he asked gently, sounding a little fearful of her answer.

Alice liked to shop, and I knew she bought a lot of things.

"I already told you," she said, scandalized. Edward sighed and shot me a sympathetic glance before Alice's speed increased, bringing us onto an even bigger road than the main one in Forks.

It was the same road Emmett had driven on when we went to dinner and the movie.

"We're buying clothes, a winter jacket for Bella, and some books, if she wants them. She doesn't have very many."

"I don't need anything," I said quickly. The last thing I wanted was for Esme and Carlisle to let Alice spend their money on a bunch of things I didn't need.

"You'll need a winter jacket," said Alice. "You didn't get snow in Arizona, but you'll see it here."

Edward nodded, finally agreeing with her on something.

"It's still summer, though-"

"Never mind that," said Alice gently, speeding her car up yet again. "You'll need it soon enough."

"But Alice-"

"Never mind, 'but Alice'," she scolded. "I know what you need, and you need new things."

I fell silent, unsure how to respond to her vehement insistence.

"Just let her be," suggested Edward. "I'll help you rein her in when we get there."

"Oh no you won't," laughed Alice. "I haven't been shopping with Bella in ten years, and so help me God, she _will_ shop!"

Edward wisely kept quiet.

The drive was very short and fast with excited little Alice in the driver's seat, and I was sure my Holter monitor would show an increased heart rate between one and two in the afternoon.

Poor Doctor Denali would have his work cut out for him trying to decipher my heart if I drove anymore with Alice. She drove so fast and was so chatty that I didn't have much reassurance that she wouldn't crash.

"We're here!" she sang as she pulled into a large parking lot, stopping between the yellow lines closest to the doors. Edward sighed heavily as she undid her belt and got out of the car, leaving the two of us to scramble after her. Edward took my hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly as he always did as I moved closer to him, not wanting to be assaulted by any strange people in this big place.

I would _not _embarrass Alice in her mall by having an episode. No sir, I would _not._

"You'll be fine," said Edward reassuringly, making me nod as he let go of my hand, setting his arm on my shoulders instead.

He was very, very warm, and only when Alice turned to us, beaming at the sight of his arm, did I flush.

"You two are so cute!" she gushed, making a few heads turn as my colour deepened. Edward scowled at her.

"Stop it," he scolded, making her grin mischievously. "We're friends."

"Sure you are," she replied airily, never taking her eyes off of him. He stared her down again, his eyes not laughing anymore as Alice giggled and jerked her head towards the doors, telling us to follow.

What was _that _about? Of course Edward and I were friends- he was the only man in our entire house that didn't remind me of someone bad.

Didn't Alice know that?

"Come on, Bella!" she said impatiently. "Esme wants you home in no more than three hours, so that really limits us!"

Three hours of shopping?

I stared at her.

"That's a long time," I argued. "I've never been out that long before-"

"You've been out much longer than that," she scolded. "You left the house with Emmett at four and only got back at ten. That's six hours."

It sure didn't _feel _like six hours.

"I want to take you to Abercrombie, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Forever 21, Urban Planet and you need to eat while we're here," she decreed. "We have a lot of ground to cover."

"Alice, don't you think-" started Edward, right before he was cut off by a glare from my sister.

"No, Edward, I don't," she said simply, not letting him even _finish _what he was about to say. He stared after her in mild amazement as went through the sliding glass doors, leaving the two of us to follow.

It was very big, that much was certain, and it was _packed _with people.

"Are you going to be alright in here?" asked Edward apprehensively, glancing around.

"Yes," I said firmly, steeling myself. If Alice wanted me to shop with her, then so be it- I would shop.

No one- not even the meanest, blondest man in this whole place- would stop me. Alice was much more important than any nasty man.

"You're staying, right?" I asked, suddenly fearful that he'd want to leave. Alice, I knew, was shopping for girls' clothes, not men's, and I knew it might bore him.

"Of course, Bella," he said gently. "I wouldn't imagine leaving you."

His words made my cheeks heat up once more, but before long, Alice interrupted.

"Come on!" she said impatiently, tugging me away from Edward. He smiled sadly and followed us dutifully as Alice, my hand in hers, dragged me towards a large clothing store, where many other girls were shopping.

"Great," she said. "Look at the sale!"

"_25% off all retail purchase prices!" _read the sign. Whatever that meant.

"Here," she said eagerly, grabbing a size small shirt from the rack and handing it to me. I held it carefully, not too sure what she wanted me to do with it before she flagged down a worker in the store, demanding that I be able to try it on.

"Come with me," she said, her eyes travelling to the tape on my chest. I frowned and tugged the shirt up so she couldn't see it, making her look away. Edward and Alice both followed the strange lady with me as she opened up a door and pointed inside.

"Let me know if you need anything," she said gently, leaving me alone in the room.

"Try it on, and let me see," directed Alice, closing the door behind me. I clicked the little bolt lock before I gently took my own shirt off, determined not to disturb the tape and put the new one on, glancing in the mirror.

I could see the tape, and I saw my cheeks brighten.

"Done?" asked Alice.

"No!"

"What's wrong?" she demanded sadly, trying to open the door.

"Nothing's wrong!" I called back quickly, trying to strip the new shirt off. I succeeded and pulled my own back on, making sure it was high enough to keep the tape out of sight. I opened the door and thrust the shirt back at Alice, shaking my head quickly.

"Why not?" she demanded. "It looks good on you."

"You didn't even see it," I argued.

"I just know," was her brilliant reply.

"It shows the tape," I said simply. She frowned sadly and watched me for a long moment.

"The tape will be gone tomorrow," she argued. "Try to picture it without the tape."

"The tape's still here today, and it itches," I complained. "I don't want people to see it."

They'd stare and laugh at me.

"I'll buy it anyways," she decided, making me stare. "If you really don't like it, I'll return it another day."

I didn't dare argue with her, knowing it would get me nowhere. She looked happy again as she moved to another rack, slinging the shirt over her arm to carry it with us.

"Oh Edward, look!" she cried, shoving a button up shirt at him from the boys' side of the store. Edward caught it easily, sighing.

"We're shopping for Bella, not me," he protested.

"Oh come on!" she cried. "Look at those colours! With your hair and your eye colour, it'll go perfectly. With that pair of dark-wash jeans and that…"

Alice rambled on about colour matching and Edward's emerald eyes for a long while before he finally interrupted her, agreeing to buy the shirt if she stopped going on about it. Alice smiled triumphantly, obviously knowing exactly how to manipulate Edward into doing what she wanted him to do.

"Great," she said simply, handing Edward the shirt once more and moving on through the racks.

The next two hours were much the same- Alice bought five items in the first store before we moved on to another place, filled with similar clothing. By the end of the stores, I was really beginning to hate clothing.

Why couldn't everyone just be naked, and save us all the trouble of going shopping with my overexcited sister?

That sounded much, much easier.

"You should eat," said Alice gently, glancing at the large digital clock on the wall

4:30- almost supper time.

"We won't be home before Esme sets the table, and you're bound to get hungry on the way," she reasoned. Carlisle had made it very clear that I wasn't to skip meals, no matter what I was doing, because he didn't want me getting sick.

And I didn't want to make the good doctor angry with me, so I didn't dare disobey him.

Alice brought me and Edward towards the centre part of the mall, where there were a bunch of tables and restaurant counters all over the front. I hesitated when Alice led me through a crowd of people- towards an empty table in the corner- but was relieved when we sat down and my achy feet were able to relax.

Not even the hiking with Edward had made my feet this sore- maybe I should have worn my hiking boots instead of my sneakers.

"We've got you a pretty good haul," said Alice, impressed at the number of shopping bags she made Edward carry. Of course, she insisted that I not carry any ("Carlisle said no heavy lifting!") and that because she was so busy surfing the racks, Edward was to be made official bag carrier.

He'd had to combine purchases into one bag just to fit them all on his hands, and even then, they were heavy.

I felt sort of bad for him, even when he assured me it was no trouble.

"What do you want to eat?" asked Alice, glancing around at all the different choices.

I had no idea. This was my second time in any sort of restaurant where I got to choose what I wanted.

"It's not gourmet food," admitted Alice, "but it does the trick."

"What is there?" I asked carefully, not being too loud.

I didn't want anyone else knowing how badly educated I was… surely a sixteen year old girl should know what the restaurants served?

"New York Fries has fries and hotdogs," she said, pointing to the chequered sign at the other end of the food court. "Tacos are there, Italian food, Chinese, fast food and sandwiches," she finished, pointing to each restaurant in turn.

"I don't know," I admitted. I'd never had anything like fast food, tacos or Chinese, and I could only _imagine _what those were.

"I'm getting a sub," said Edward easily, glancing at Alice. Alice nodded as well as he glanced at me curiously.

"Want to try a sub?" he asked.

"A what?"

"A sandwich from the sandwich place. They're called submarine sandwiches, or subs."

"Okay," I said softly. I'd take whatever he put in front of me.

"What do you want on it?" he asked, listing off their ingredients. I picked some at random, making him smile as he left the bags next to us and went to stand in line.

"You spent a lot of money on me," I accused, once he was out of earshot. Alice smiled at me and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table.

"I know," she said happily. "I have ten years of shopping to make up for."

I flushed and she laughed, glancing around us.

"Oh damn, Bella, don't turn around," she advised suddenly, her voice low and unhappy. I frowned and despite her warning, I turned my head, staring.

Mike Newton was standing near the garbage can, his hand entwined with a strange girl's. There was a group of people around them but before I could panic, Alice caught my attention again.

Why was he everywhere I went?

"He really is harmless, Bella," she said quickly, looking upset. "I promise, he is-"

"It's okay," I said quickly. "As long as he stays over there."

"Ah damn it!" she hissed, making me freeze as I heard people approaching from behind.

"Hey Alice," said the familiar voice.

"Hi Mike," said Alice tensely. "Jessica."

I turned slightly and saw the girl smile briefly at Alice, her attention returning to me in a heartbeat.

"Hey Bella."

"Hi," I squeaked, wishing he would go away. I saw Edward watching us closely from the line, his eyes dark and angry.

"So what are you shopping for?" asked the girl, smacking her bubble gum loudly.

She smelled like sweet watermelons- the gum, I guessed- and it nauseated me.

"Clothes and stuff," said Alice shrugging.

"Jess!" called another girl, making me frown as yet another person crowded us.

A light-haired, mean-looking girl.

_She's a girl, Bella, not a boy._

"What Lauren?" asked the girl- Jessica- unhappily. Lauren's icy eyes looked me up and down for a long moment before I decided that examining the table was best.

I didn't like this Lauren girl one little bit.

"Who are you?" she asked rudely, making me stare up at her.

"Bella," I answered softly, my voice very quiet.

"This is my sister, Lauren," snipped Alice quickly. "I'd appreciate it if you showed a little respect."

Lauren snorted loudly- a very startling noise- and fell silent, her eyes still glued to me.

"Your sister?" asked Jessica. Alice nodded, shooting me a small smile.

_They won't hurt you, _she seemed to say.

Did I believe her?

"Hey Ange!" cried Alice suddenly, waving her hand as yet another girl came over, a tray of food and a shopping bag in her hand.

Why was Alice calling someone _else _over to us? Wasn't three enough?

"Hi Alice," said a soft voice from my right, making me turn. "Hello Bella."

Did I know her?

"I'm Angela," she informed me, making me stare. She had straight brown hair that fell past her shoulders and kind blue eyes- sort of like Esme's. She was very tall and was holding her hand out to me, letting me shake it.

"Alice told me about you not long ago," she explained, nothing but kindness in her voice.

I liked Angela, I decided.

"Oh."

"Sit," encouraged Alice, making Angela smile as she put her bag down and sat next to Alice, leaving only Edward's vacant seat.

"Where's the rest of you?" asked Lauren rudely, watching Alice. Alice looked up coolly, and I recognized the signs of her anger.

"Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper are home," she said.

"Where's Edward?" she asked suddenly, craning her neck to look for him.

He approached from behind her, a tray in his hands.

"Excuse me, Lauren, you're blocking my seat," he said.

"Eddie!" she cried, looking excited again. I cringed at the sound of it and Angela stuffed a fry into her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Alice grinned as well, watching her schoolmate closely as Lauren moved out of his way, letting him sit before she looked down at him, her eyes wide and chest puffed out.

"Hello Angela," he greeted easily, watching as Angela smiled.

"Hi," she said back, eating another fry as Edward handed me my sandwich first, giving Alice hers soon after.

"What have you been up to all summer?" she asked eagerly, her voice not sounding rude anymore. I frowned and turned to the sandwich, taking one big bite.

It really _was _good.

"Nothing," he said shortly. "Bella joined us just after exams, and we've been getting to know each other since then." Lauren's eyes bugged out as Edward shot me a gentle wink, making me smile into my sandwich.

He was goading her.

"We went hiking," I offered, making him smile as he watched me, curiously surprised.

"Great," snapped Lauren, not thinking it was "great" at all.

"Well, if you'll excuse us," said Edward simply. "We're eating."

"So?"

Edward stared at her incredulously.

"It's rude to speak with your mouth full," he said simply, making Alice laugh into her sandwich. Lauren glared at her for a moment before she turned and glanced pointedly at Jessica and Mike, who both looked uncomfortable.

"We'll, uh, see you later then," said Mike hesitantly, watching Lauren's simmering anger as she stalked off.

"Bye!" chirped Jessica, obviously happy to be holding Mike's hand. Alice watched them leave, looking thoroughly amused before she broke down into hysterics, watching Edward the entire time.

"My god, could she be a little more conspicuous?" she said nastily. "She's such a slut."

I gasped sharply at Alice's insult, knowing it was a very, _very _rude thing to call someone. She glanced at me, smiling sadly.

"Sorry Bell," she said, falling silent as she took another bite.

"She's been after me forever," said Edward quietly, glancing up at me. "Ever since about second grade."

Alice chuckled.

"She's always hitting on Jasper too," she added.

"Ben won't even go near her anymore," supplied Angela, making me frown.

Who was Ben?

"We're dating," she explained kindly. "He's in my class at school."

"Oh." Angela just smiled at me and continued to eat her food, finishing before any of us did. Edward had gotten me a very big sandwich and I was embarrassed to say that I was the last one done- after I'd _forced _myself to eat the last of it.

Wasting food was very bad, I knew- experience had taught me that much. When we were all done, Edward took both our tray and Angela's throwing the trash away and setting the dirty tray itself on top of the can, where all the others were. Edward came back and waited as Alice, Angela and I stood up, each one of us full and happy.

"It was nice meeting you, Bella," said Angela gently, smiling at me as she picked up her bag. "Next time Alice is up at my place, you should come with her."

Alice beamed at Angela, looking incomparably happy.

"Maybe," I agreed, offering her a gentle smile. She seemed like a very laid-back, happy sort of person, and I was glad to be around her.

Angela didn't spook me one little bit.

"I'll see you later, Alice. Edward," she said, smiling as she waved and left us, going towards the doors so she could leave. As soon as she was gone, Alice turned to me expectantly.

"What?" I asked warily. She grinned again.

"What do you think?" she asked. "She's nice, right?"

"I like her," I said quickly. Alice smiled happily.

"Good," she said. "Next time I go over to her place, I'll take you with me."

I simply nodded, not too sure how I felt about _that._

"She has two little brothers," said Alice. "Twins."

"Oh."

"Jackson and Jeremy," she explained. "They're eight years old, and they're quite the handful."

Edward laughed gently.

"Mom babysat them once," he remembered.

If anyone had the patience to chase two little kids around, it would be Esme. I didn't think _anything _made Esme mad.

"Are we done too?" I asked suddenly, glancing at the digital clock again.

Esme had said three hours, and it was already five o' clock. We were almost an hour late…

"Don't worry, mom knows." said Alice quickly, seeing my sudden panic. "I called her while you were changing in Abercrombie."

"Oh." I had no idea which store Abercrombie was, but I had no desire to figure it out. Clothes shopping with Alice had tired me out.

"Do you want to go to Barnes and Noble?" she asked me eagerly, looking thoroughly amused. Edward, too, looked interested in my answer, making me frown.

"What's that?"

"It's Jasper's all-time favourite store," she said with a slight grimace. "It's a bookstore."

"Yes!" I cried, excited as she laughed.

"Let's go, then," she urged, making me jump up as she led me down the corridor once again. We passed many other stores- kitchen stores, bathroom stores, more clothing stores, movie stores, game stores until finally, we came to the last one.

A bookstore.

I didn't think I'd ever seen that many books in one place, even when I was in the Doctor's office in the Institute.

And Doctor Dupont had _a lot _of books.

"Wow," I said, my eyes wide as Alice stared at me. Edward led the way in, much calmer and more relaxed in this store than he'd been in any other one so far and moved to the shelf by the wall, examining the titles.

Though I wasn't the best reader, I _did _want to look.

"Come on, silly," said Alice gently. "Look."

Look, I sure did.

Confident enough to leave Edward and Alice by the more male-oriented selection, I moved down towards the back of the store, where the sign read "Classics". I found two massive shelves covered with copies of different books. I slowly, but rather certainly, read the titles, glad that no one else was back here.

_Emma_

_Pride and Prejudice_

_Sense and Sensibility_

_Persuasion_

_Mansfield Park_

_Northanger Abbey _

_Jane Eyre_

_Dracula_

_Frankenstein_

_Anna Karenina_

_The Catcher in the Rye_

_To Kill a Mockingbird_

_The Scarlet Letter_

I didn't even know which to pick up first- would they be complicated like their titles sounded? I grabbed the copy of one of the easiest sounding ones- Jane Eyre- and flipped through it carefully. The pages were thick and full of small-printed, complicated words that instantly grabbed my attention. As I went to put it back, however, something else caught my eye.

_Wuthering Heights, _the cover said. There was a picture of an old iron gate and a tall, old-fashioned home behind it, making me snatch it quickly.

It had been hiding behind its larger friend.

Flipping through that book also piqued my interest and I felt a resolve forming in my mind. I knew exactly what I wanted, though it would take a lot of hard work.

I wanted to read this book- from front to back- an understand it. I wanted Jasper to tell me what every single word in this novel meant. He would help me- I was sure of it, if I could get the courage to ask him- and he'd probably enjoy himself too.

Yes, this was what I wanted, if Alice would buy it for me. Esme had given her money, hadn't she? And told her to get me whatever it was I wanted?

Well, I wanted _this. _This thick book with the spooky cover and long, complex words.

No more _Charlotte's Web._ I wanted _Wuthering Heights._

"Bella?" asked Alice softly, just as she came around the corner. She found me there, staring at the back panel of the book, struggling to read my way through it.

"Find anything interesting?" she asked idly, craning her neck to see the title. I handed it to her with a firm resolve and she looked mildly surprised.

"This is a complicated one," she warned. "They spoke differently in the 1800s."

"I don't care," I said firmly, feeling certain and sure for once in my life. Never had I been so sure about _anything, _not even finding that meadow with Edward. Never had I _wanted _anything so badly in my life.

I'd been thoroughly trained out of wanting things, but now that I'd seen this, years of training and harsh rule reinforcement was coming undone. The voice of the Doctor wasn't echoing in my mind as I held the book. He wasn't calling me worthless, stupid or greedy.

It was Jasper I saw in my mind, looking very pleased that I wanted to read. Jasper, the strange, shy, blonde-haired boy that was my sister's boyfriend. Jasper the quiet one- the watcher. _He _was in my head now, encouraging me, not pulling me down.

Jasper _wanted _me to read.

"Are you sure? You have other classics on the shelf in your room, you know," she said gently, looking mildly impressed. I nodded emphatically, sure that I'd never seen this book on my shelf and without another protest, she walked out of the classics section and moved towards the cash register, where Edward was paying for a book of music. He met up with me easily and drew me away from Alice, his purchase in hand, and led me into the hall to wait for her.

"What did you find?" he asked curiously.

"Wuthering Heights," I replied easily, smiling.

"The classic, Wuthering Heights?" he asked, confused. "What happened to Charlotte's Web?"

"I want that one," I said simply, watching him carefully. He grinned.

"You'll like it, I think," he admitted. "It's the kind of thing you'd be into."

I beamed up at him, earning me a small embrace as Alice came out of the store. My face turned bright red as she raised her eyebrows, causing Edward to scowl and let me go as if I'd burned him. Alice laughed gently and handed me the bag with the book inside as she stared at her brother, looking incredibly amused.

"Of _course _you're just friends," she teased, making me turn even redder.

_That's _what she'd meant when we first came in… she thought Edward liked me, and not as a friend.

"Oh shut up," he snapped angrily, making her laugh as she took my hand, offering it to him playfully. He glared at her but took it anyways, his soft grip showing no signs of his anger.

"Come on, Bella," he said distastefully, watching as Alice flounced away, taking a few of her clothing bags with her. I carried some lighter ones and left the others for Edward, who picked them up like they weighed nothing at all, and carried them carefully as we made our way to the doors. The glass slid aside for us as Alice moved through the parking lot, finding her bright car easily. She helped us place the bags in the trunk, letting me keep my book with me before she opened my door for me and let me slide in before we all buckled up and she sped off again.

"That was fun," she said happily after a moment of silence, leaving Edward to snort in the back.

"Do you have something to say, Edward?" she asked angrily, glaring at him through her mirror. "No one _made _you come."

He fell silent, shaking his head.

"No, ma'am," he teased, making Alice's eyes roll as she drove on.

"Did _you _at least have fun, Bella?" she asked me eagerly, looking apprehensive. I nodded quickly. Despite the fact that I didn't really enjoy clothes shopping, I did enjoy our meal with Angela and shopping for my new book. Alice looked thrilled as she turned up her radio, letting a girly pop song play as she drove on. Sometimes, I caught her singing along with the words, her voice much higher than the singer's was.

It was another hour before we got back to the house, and it was already getting dark out. Alice went quickly to her trunk and I watched as she tugged out the majority of the bags all by herself, leaving the rest for me.

Or Edward, I suppose, since he beat me to them, smiling mischievously when I frowned.

"I can carry some," I said pathetically as he closed the trunk, smirking.

"You already have one," he countered, glancing at my book. I smiled despite myself and shrugged, letting him carry all he wanted. I opened the door for him though, since his hands were full. I took off my shoes by the door and went into the living room where Alice was, showing off the clothing to Emmett and Jasper, who were both seated with their video game paused. Alice was in the middle of her description when Emmett burst out laughing, watching me.

I became instantly self-conscious, wondering what he was laughing at.

Had he seen the tape from those electrodes Carlisle had placed on me?

"Of course Boo bought a book," he laughed, making me frown slightly. "That's the only store mom and dad could ever drag you into."

I stared at him, mildly surprised before I felt a weighty sadness come down on me.

I didn't remember my mom and dad- not one little bit.

"What did you get?" asked Jasper, looking oddly excited at the idea. I blushed red and pulled it out, moving closer to hand it to him. He grinned and looked up.

"Excellent," he said eagerly. "You want to learn?"

I flushed deeply and nodded my head, feeling bashful. He grinned and glanced at Emmett, holding out his hand. Emmett sighed heavily and handed Jasper two twenty dollar bills, making me frown.

"Seriously, you two?" asked Alice angrily, glancing between her brother and boyfriend.

"Why'd you pay him?" I asked, watching as Jasper shoved the money in his jeans pocket. Emmett laughed slightly, shaking his head.

"Because I was dumb, Boo," he said cryptically. "I should have known you'd come back with some complicated book to read."

"Emmett bet me forty dollars that you'd come home with another kids' novel," explained Jasper. "I told him you'd want to branch out once you saw the store."

"I wanted that one," I said firmly as Jasper handed it back to me, letting me hold it reverently.

That book was my most prized possession.

"I knew you would," he said easily. "Just name the time and place."

I grinned, happy that Jasper was willing to help me even though I was skittish around him.

"I need to finish the other one first," I decided gently, making him grin again and hold out his hand to my brother again.

"You're emptying the bank, Boo," he said sadly, handing over another ten dollars.

"You're impossible," said Alice incredulously as Jasper took Emmett's money. "What was that one for?"

"Emmett said she'd want to start on the new one right away," he said easily. "He shouldn't bet against me."

I stared at the two of them, not completely understanding the rules of this strange, foreign game. Edward shook his head slightly and smiled at me, taking his shopping bags and moving up to the third floor- his bedroom. Alice let my bags sit on the floor as she invited me to sit next to her.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself today," she said gently. "It's a far cry from your baby days, that's for sure."

I frowned, once again remembering that I _didn't _remember.

"Alice?" I asked hesitantly, not sure how she'd take my question.

"Yeah?"

I hesitated.

"What were they like?" I asked sadly, making her frown as she turned quickly to me.

"Charlie and Renee?" she asked softly, making me nod.

Charlie and Renee Swan.

"Well," she said slowly, "what do you remember?"

I flushed.

"Nothing," I whispered. I saw Jasper and Emmett watching me closely, right before Jasper got up and left the room, giving us a little privacy.

"Nothing at all?" she asked sadly, making me frown.

"No."

"Well, they were both dark haired," she began. "You and Emmett take after Charlie's side, and I look like Renee's mother did."

"Oh."

"Charlie had our brown eyes and Renee's were blue," she recalled, glancing at Emmett for confirmation.

It had been a long time for her, too.

"Hold on a second," she said quietly, standing as Emmett snuck over and stole her seat.

"It's natural to want to know," he explained. "I'd want to."

I nodded, resting my head against him as my lack of knowledge got to me.

How could someone not remember their own parents?

"Charlie was very quiet," said Emmett, continuing from where Alice left off. She came back then, a photo frame in her hands. She sat down on Emmett's vacated sofa as she watched the two of us, knowing that Emmett had much more to go on than she did. He had a good two years more with them than she did, and because he was older, he remembered more.

"Renee was the loudmouth," he said with a chuckle. "She always had something quirky to say or do… Charlie adored her."

Alice stepped forward and held the frame out to me, letting me take it. I glanced down and frowned deeply, the picture stirring up some sort of ancient memory that had been long forgotten in the back of my mind. There were two people- a man and a woman- both dark haired, as Alice had said. The woman looked positively cheerful with bright bluish-green eyes that reflected the sunlight. She was wearing a bright yellow sundress and a large-brimmed sunhat on her head, her sunglasses resting on top of that. She had her arms wrapped around the man's neck, who looked happy, but a little awkward. He had crinkly brown eyes and a thick moustache- he looked like an older, shyer version of my brother.

And something like me- he had my curly hair and my brown eyes.

"They're Charlie and Renee," said Alice softly. "This was taken a few days before they died."

"Oh."

My voice was only a whisper as unfamiliar voices came into my head- ones that matched the photograph.

"_Bella!" called a woman's cheery, loud voice. "Come on!"_

"_I don't want to!" cried little me. I could see the woman in the doorway, her dress and hat matching the photo I'd just seen._

"_Come on, Bell, daddy's waiting for our picnic," she said. "Emmett and Alice will be home next week, and you want them to know you were good, right?"_

"_Fine!" this little me cried, exasperated. I felt my feet hitting the ground as I ran at her full force, hitting her knees hard. She caught onto me and laughed in her happy way before she led me through an unfamiliar house, right through an open patio door._

"_Hey baby," said another voice- a deep voice- and little me felt a swell of love for it. I saw the man from the photo- my _father-_ sitting on a chequered blanket in the grass, patting the spot next to him._

"_Come sit with me," he coaxed, smiling gently as I ran over and threw myself down next to him, resting my head against him like I did so often with Emmett now…_

"Bell?"

"Hm?" I asked, shaking my head. I frowned at the memory, not liking it as much as I thought I would.

I _missed _them now… at least before, there was nothing to miss.

"Are you alright?" asked Emmett worriedly, watching me intently.

"We had a picnic," I blurted. "He was on a blanket and you were gone."

"When?" asked Emmett softly, making me frown.

"Whenever this was taken," I said certainly. "She had the hat."

"Alice and I were at summer camp," said Emmett gently. "We'd only been gone for four days when we got called into the leader's office and he told us that the cops were bringing us home. You're the one who took this photo."

"She wanted me to be good, because I didn't want to go into the back," I explained. "She said to be good, because she wanted you to be proud of me for behaving."

"Renee loved you, Bella," said Alice softly, sounding very sad. "They both did, very, very much."

I felt a lump in my throat as my eyes burned.

"Charlie was a police officer in Seattle," said Alice softly. "Renee taught kindergarten."

I smiled, despite my unease.

"What happened to them?" I asked sadly, watching as Alice frowned gently. Emmett pulled me closer, letting me rest on him like mini-me had to her father in the memory.

"It was an accident," said Alice quickly. "You were with the neighbour, Mrs. Finchley- do you remember her?"

"No."

"You were staying with her- she was old, mind you- while they went out," she explained. "There was a huge pileup on the interstate and they were caught in the middle of it on their way home. You stayed overnight with Mrs. Finchley that night and the next day, the social worker came for you. By the time Emmett and I had gotten back from camp, you were already gone to wherever you went," she said softly, not knowing about my past. "A group home, I think."

"Oh." My voice quivered as Alice sighed sadly, sitting on my other side.

I stared at the knots in Esme's wooden floor instead of watching the two of them.

"Carlisle and Esme were just our foster parents when we first came," explained Emmett. "They adopted us a year later."

"They're your parents now?" I asked gently, wondering how hard it had been for the two of them to call new people "mom and dad"

"Yeah," he admitted. "We took their name, too."

"You what?" I asked, confused. He smiled, despite the sad conversation.

"We added Cullen to our names," explained Alice gently. "Changed last names."

I frowned at that idea.

"Why?" I demanded. Alice watched me with sad eyes as she glanced up at Emmett for support.

"They're our parents now, Boo," he said gently. "Charlie and Renee were very special people and they might have raised us too, but they're gone now, and Carlisle and Esme are here. We didn't want to stay attached to something that wasn't around anymore. At least with 'Cullen', we could feel like an actual member of the family."

"What happened to your old last name?" I asked timidly, making him smile.

"It's still there," he said. "Neither one of us wanted to get rid of it totally."

"Mary Alice Swan Cullen," said Alice. "That's my full name."

I snorted with laughter.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Your name's _Mary?"_ I asked incredulously.

Alice did _not _look like a _Mary. _She scowled at me as I snickered at her, and even Emmett cracked a few laughs.

"That's why I go by Alice," she grumbled. "Someone as unique as me should _never _have a name like _Mary."_

"It's not a bad name, but for you…" I trailed off, amused. She laughed as well, sighing gently as she quieted down.

"That's why you've got Marie," she explained.

"What?"

"Your full name," she said sadly. "Isabella Marie Swan."

"Oh."

"Poor Grandma Marie was supposed to be commemorated with my birth, but I cast off Mary and they passed it on to you," she teased.

"Who?" I asked, wondering who "Grandma Marie" was.

"Gran was Charlie's mom," said Emmett easily. "She died when you were about four."

"Oh."

"Yeah, she was a hoot," he laughed. "Charlie's personality definitely didn't come from her, that's for sure-"

"Emmett, don't be mean," scolded Alice, smiling herself. "Gran was very nice to you."

"Hell yeah!" he cried. "She gave me like twenty fucking cookies every time I saw her." Alice rolled her eyes at his food-focused brain, but he simply continued.

"She just _adored _you, Boo," he continued. "You were just like Charlie, but a girl. I think Gran secretly wished that Charlie had been born female. Alice was too squirmy and all over the place to hang onto, but you'd sit with her for hours if she wanted you to."

I nodded, having no memory whatsoever of anyone named "Grandma Marie".

The three of us fell into a quiet silence for a long moment before someone else broke it, making me jump.

"Are you three up for a snack?" asked Esme gently, poking her head into the room.

I knew by her face that she knew what we were talking about, and I wondered if she'd be mad at me for bringing it up. After all, Emmett and Alice were _her _kids now, not Charlie and Renee's…

"Not for me," said Alice.

"No thanks."

"Hell yeah!"

"Emmett," she scolded gently, sounding both put out and amused by his raucousness. "A simple 'yes' would suffice."

"Yes mom," he said in an exaggeratedly pleasant voice, making her roll her eyes.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" she asked, looking at me. Esme knew I'd never ask for food like Alice would if she wanted it, but again, I shook my head.

"No thank you," I said quickly, watching her smile as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Well, is that all you want to know?" asked Emmett eagerly, making me frown as I nodded.

"Great," he said. "I've got some eating to do."

And with that, my bear of a brother bumbled off into the kitchen in search of food. Alice watched me as I held the metal photo frame in my hands, wondering what else I'd forgotten about.

"You can keep that," said Alice gently. "I have more upstairs."

"Are you sure?" I asked doubtfully, making her smile.

"_You _remember that particular moment- it's your memory, not mine," she said easily. "Keep it."

"Thank you," I said, reaching over to hug her. She was pleasantly surprised- I rarely initiated hugs with her- and hugged me back, smiling.

"Go put it someplace safe," she suggested, eying the frame carefully. I took it gently and smiled at her as I moved up the stairs to the third floor, knowing exactly where this frame was going. When I found my door open I frowned, but soon discovered the source of the disturbance as I spotted a sleeping Jake snoring on my bed, looking quite content. I moved over to my desk and set the photo frame up on its stand, letting the still faces stare back at me.

Where were they now?

Jake interrupted my thoughts as he made his way over to me, nudging my hand with his nose. I patted his head carefully, making sure he didn't touch any electrodes and mess up my reading for Carlisle's test.

"Those are my parents, puppy," I said, feeling it necessary to introduce the three of them.

All three remained indifferent as Jake watched me curiously, wondering what I was telling him now. I sighed heavily as he moved closer yet again, pressing his side against me.

"Love you, Jakey," I whispered, sitting on my backside in the middle of my floor to let Jake snuggle like he obviously wanted to.

He looked unimpressed with me and my floor-snuggle so I moved up to the bed, letting him hop up next to me. He sat down with his face to mine, watching me intently with his knowing, brown eyes.

"Sweet boy," I cooed, watching as his tail thumped against the mattress. I'd learned recently that no matter what I said to him, as long as I spoke in the baby voice he loved, he'd react happily.

Jake was smart for a dog, but compared to a person, he was still a little dumb. I scratched his ears affectionately, laughing softly as his head pressed into my hands and he groaned- the sound low and deep.

It would have been almost a growl, if I didn't know how pleased he was.

"Lay down," I encouraged, watching as he lowered his heavy body to the mattress, resting his head on my outstretched legs.

I laid back against my bed as Jake shifted, resting his head in the crook of my knees. As we laid together in the silence, a frightening, unpleasant thought struck me.

_What would Charlie and Renee think of me now?_

**A/N: Hey! I forgot to mention a few chapters back that a few of you DID guess right when I asked if you knew what was going to happen to Bella (though I can't tell you WHICH people, obviously).**

**There's also a new link on my profile (the Google Docs link) that will send you to a chart I created. It tells you the ages, birthdays and grades of Bella, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Edward. I know that following the ages can be a bit of a struggle through this story (I even had problems with it at times!)**

**Please leave a review!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 20**

BPOV

"_Who's _coming here?" I asked again, stunned as Carlisle watched me carefully.

"Danielle," he repeated. "I just got the fax last night, after you went to bed."

"Why?" I inquired, stunned. Danielle had said that she was very busy…

"To check up," said Carlisle easily. "She wants to make sure you're adjusting."

"Oh."

"Cole's coming too," he added softly.

"The dark driver?" I asked softly, clearly seeing his dark hair, glasses and jacket in my mind.

"I suppose so," said Carlisle carefully. "I don't think he's_ dark." _

"He dressed dark," I amended. "He has dark hair and dark pants and shoes and jackets and glasses and a dark car-"

"Alright," said Carlisle quickly. "I understand."

I nodded, returning to my oatmeal. It was getting cold, and I knew very well that cold oatmeal wasn't good oatmeal.

And Carlisle would be upset if I wasted my breakfast. It always upset him when I didn't eat like he thought I should. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack, milk, then bed. If I forgot my snack, he always made me have a _second _glass of milk, even though he'd found out not that long ago that I didn't really like it. He said that if my heart was sick (we weren't sure _how _sick it was, though we knew it _was _sick), the last thing I needed was to miss meals. He wanted to make sure I gained some weight, since he thought I was too thin.

I felt bigger than I had in my entire life. Esme made a lot of good food for me to eat, and boy did she make me eat it. That was the only time Esme was ever assertive with me.

I was to eat at least half my plate- no less. If I _didn't _eat half of it, she waited with me until I did.

Jake nudged my toe with his wet dog-nose, jolting me out of my thinking.

"Gross," I grumbled, making Carlisle glance at me.

"You can eat something else," he said quickly, looking sad again. I looked up at him, confused.

"What?" I asked, trying my best not to sound rude.

"If you don't like oatmeal, you don't have to eat it," he clarified. "It's fine if you think it's gross, just find something else."

"The oatmeal's not gross," I said quickly, making him frown.

"Bella," he began gently. "You don't have to lie to me."

I felt my breath hitch.

Did this light-haired doctor think I was _lying _to him?

"No!" I said, feeling very edgy once more. "Jake rubbed his wet nose on my foot."

"Bella…" he began again, not believing me.

"See?" I demanded wildly, swinging my foot around and raising it for him to see.

It was shiny and wet, and Doctor Cullen watched it for a short moment before he smiled.

"He's under there," I said, pointing, earning me a gentle nod as Jake once again gave my toes a lick. I scowled at him as he walked by, ignoring my frowning. Carlisle watched me instead of Jake for a very short moment before he spoke again.

"Forgive me, Bella," he said. "I just don't want you to feel obligated. You have choices here, you know."

"I know."

"Alright."

"Oatmeal's good," I said again. "Sometimes we had it at the Institute and all the time in the Phoenix hospital, but there weren't apples and cinnamon on it."

He chuckled.

"Eat your breakfast and then go get dressed," he instructed. I glanced down at my pyjama-clad body, blushing deeply. He watched me interestedly before he continued. "Danielle said she'd be here before lunch."

Right, Danielle.

"Okay."

"I'm sure she's just coming to check in," he said softly. "There's no need to worry."

I nodded, knowing that Danielle was _safe. _She'd been my safe place for weeks before I found Alice. Danielle had kept me safe from the doctors in the Phoenix hospital, safe from the male patients and she'd brought me here in Cole's car. Danielle had brought me back to Alice and Emmett. She wasn't _dangerous._

"Good," said Carlisle softly. "Eat up."

By the time I'd finished eating and gotten my clothes on, there was already another dilemma at hand- Alice had gone school shopping in Seattle with Jasper and Edward since she had class again in just a few weeks. Rosalie had tagged along with them since she had some shopping of her own to do. Esme was once again out grocery shopping, but this time in Port Angeles because she found a good deal on fresh fruit at the farmer's market up there.

Alice had always been here to do my hair for me whenever I needed it done. I could brush it out decently, but to make it presentable for Danielle?

No… that was Alice's specialty. Alice knew _everything _about hair, especially mine. She just loved playing in it, and now, she wasn't here. I had the brush in my hand as I brought it down through the knots, wondering what to do with myself.

I didn't even know how to pull it back properly. I always made bubbles and loops on the part that was supposed to be flat.

And _then, _I'd put the ponytail off centre. It would be crooked, and Danielle would think that Esme and Carlisle were letting me run wild like an animal. I couldn't embarrass Carlisle in front of Danielle and Cole, so I decided to do the only thing I could think of.

I went searching for my big brother- the only one besides Carlisle left in the house with me. Emmett would know what I should do.

Holding the brush and elastic in hand, I gently moved out of my bedroom and into the hallway. Jake was waiting for me there, his tail thumping the floor as I patted his head while we walked towards the stairs. It was silent up here except for Jake's snuffling and I felt a small frown making its way onto my face as we descended the staircase.

Maybe Emmett didn't want to be bothered by me and my hair dilemma. Maybe he didn't care if I looked wild in front of Danielle.

Jake knew exactly where I was headed, much to my surprise, and he led me right down the second floor hallway towards Emmett's bedroom, where his door was closed and his music playing.

I hesitated.

What if he got mad at me for bugging him? I'd only ever been in his bedroom once before- to sleep- and that time, he'd invited me in. What would I do if Emmett lost his temper with me and got angry?

Jake's tail thumped against my leg.

_Just do it,_ he seemed to say. _Go._

I held my breath and knocked on the door three times, each time short and hesitant.

"Come in!" boomed the loud, familiar voice. I stared at the door for a long moment before I grabbed the handle and turned it, praying he wouldn't be upset with me.

"Hey Boo!" he cried enthusiastically, throwing a shirt on over his head. I watched as he reached over and smacked a button on his stereo with his hand, making the music stop abruptly. I stared at him as he ushered me inside, shutting the door before Jake could come in.

Emmett was still a little prejudiced towards our puppy.

"Hi," I squeaked, gauging his temper carefully. He stared at me for a short moment before he glanced down at my hands.

"What's up?" he asked, tossing himself down on his chair. He watched me carefully as I hesitated.

Jake pawed the door, making Emmett scowl.

"Do you know how to do this?" I blurted quickly, making him frown as he glanced at me.

"Do what?"

"Hair," I said, almost positive he didn't. "Carlisle said that Danielle's coming today and Alice usually does it for me-"

"I don't know," he said easily. "Never really tried."

"Oh."

"Come here, Boo," he offered, standing up. I walked over quickly and he sat me down in the chair instead, snatching the brush and elastic away from me.

"What do you want me to do to it?" he asked doubtfully. "I'll try, but no guarantees."

I suppressed a grin.

"Pull it back?" I asked hesitantly. "I always make bubbles."

"Sure thing." And with that, he began to brush. I was shocked at how gentle he could be when he tried to be- his hands felt like big versions of Alice's hands. Before long, it was brushed out and he started to pull it back.

I could see his face in the mirror across from me and he looked a little confused.

"Bubbles," he grumbled, letting it fall down again. I sighed wistfully, wishing Alice was here as he tried again. He took the brush in his hands and brushed the top back before he used his big fingers to draw the rest of it up.

Lopsided.

He tried again.

And again, and again, and again.

"I hate hair," he proclaimed passionately as he failed for the sixth time, being forced to brush the tangles out again. I frowned and tried to take it back, not wanting to make him frustrated.

"No, I'll get it," he vowed. "Just let me try."

"Okay," I squeaked, wondering what Danielle would find when she got here. Would she find me groomed and proper or looking like an animal? Perhaps she'd find Emmett attacking my hair with my blue hairbrush…

"Boo?" he asked suddenly, letting the heavy sheet of hair fall down my back.

"Yeah?"

"Can I do something else?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Something," he said cryptically. "I _know_ I can do this one."

"How do you know?" I asked curiously.

"Rosalie's made me do it before," he admitted.

"You said you've never done hair," I accused with a frown, making him stare.

"Not like Alice does," he said quickly. "I've done _some _things before."

He sounded embarrassed and I grinned.

"Sure," I said gently. If Rosalie let him do it, it couldn't be that bad, right?

He got right to work, brushing and untangling the knots he'd made with his big, bumbling hands. I watched in the mirror as he dragged the brush over the top of my head, bringing it all to the back as he held it gently, dividing it up into three parts.

"It won't be as good as Alice's," he warned quickly, looking a little self-conscious, "but it'll still be alright."

"It's better than what I could do," I admitted, waiting for him to pull the hair through the elastic.

He chuckled.

"I'm not done yet, Bell," he said gently, grabbing each of the three hair pieces in his hands. I watched in mild fascination as he began to pull them over each other, weaving them together to make a long, thick rope of hair.

"It's a braid," he admitted. "I'm sure Alice or Rose could French braid it for you, but this'll work."

I was amazed. Emmett- my big brother with no long hair of his own to practice with- had taken my messy hair and turned it into a sleek rope.

… or _braid, _as he called it.

He tied the elastic around the bottom of the braid once he was done, smiling proudly.

"See?" he said. "I'm not completely useless with you." I frowned at his words, feeling sad.

"You're never useless," I admonished, making him smile again with a shrug.

"Sometimes," he argued. "But anyways, that's it."

"Thank you," I said easily, unable to resist the urge to stroke it. It was soft and shiny, making me look very_ unlike _a wild animal. Danielle would be pleased.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, suddenly concerned for my welfare as he remembered who was coming. I nodded easily.

"Danielle's safe," I said honestly. "She was safe before Alice was."

He just watched me, a curious look on his face.

"Safe?"

"Safe," I replied gravely, nodding. "Cole wasn't, though."

"Who's Cole?"

"The man Danielle works with- her partner. He drove, and he was dark."

"Dark?"

"He wore dark things and had a dark car and dark hair-"

"Okay," he said softly, understanding.

Jake, unable to help himself, scratched angrily at the door, letting out three sharp barks. Emmett, exasperated, wrenched the door out of his way and let him inside.

He zoomed right on over to me, his eyes wary and worried.

"Hi puppy," I cooed happily, scratching both of his cheeks as he thrust his face in my own, sniffing. Emmett watched me gently as I cuddled the puppy, smiling.

"He's a nice boy," I said affectionately, making Emmett smile.

"He's good for you," he admitted grudgingly, "even if he's bad."

I scowled at my big brother, making him grin.

"When's Danielle coming over?" he asked curiously.

"Carlisle said before lunch," I recited. Emmett glanced at his clock, which read 10:56.

"Soon," he said softly. "Good luck, Boo."

"Thanks," I said awkwardly, standing up again. "And thanks for the hair."

"Don't mention it."

"I'd better go so I'm there when she comes," I said softly, making him nod quietly. He was watching the floor as I stood up, taking my brush with me. I was just at his door when he stopped me again, his voice sounding sad and careful.

"Boo?"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning around once more. He watched me intently for a short moment before he answered.

"Would you mind if I sat with you?" he asked gently. "While the social worker's here, I mean."

Emmett _wanted _to sit with me during a potential episode of panic?

"Okay," I said awkwardly, suddenly pleased with the idea.

No one would dare take on Emmett… he was just too big. Cole couldn't frighten _Emmett._

"Thanks," he said, suddenly happy and Emmett-like once more. I watched as he followed me out the door, closing it behind him as he trailed me to the third floor.

I liked having Emmett around me… he was so big and so spooky that not even Danielle's quiet partner would dare bother him. No one bothered Emmett, if they could help it.

I put the brush back in the drawer in my bathroom before Emmett, Jake and I all went downstairs together, Jake leading the way. Carlisle was in the sitting room, watching as I descended the stairs before my brother, letting Emmett take up the tail.

"All ready?" asked Carlisle as I stepped onto the hardwood floor, standing awkwardly behind an armchair.

"Yes," I said quickly, nodding. Emmett stood behind me, watching Carlisle as well before I chose my seat- the far sofa. Jake crept up on my left side and I patted him easily, letting him rest his drooly head in my lap.

If Danielle didn't like Jake drooling on me, too bad for her.

Emmett, to my delight, chose the seat on my right, leaving me in the middle of my two intimidating, spooky protectors- my puppy and my brother. Carlisle watched the three of us for a short moment before he turned to the window behind me, sighing.

"That'll be them," he said gently. My heart sped up with sudden, irrational anxiety as I leaned on Emmett's side, letting him wrap his arm around me. He didn't say anything as I rested my head just blow his shoulder (I was too short to reach it completely) and there was a knock on the door.

"Good morning," said Carlisle graciously as he exchanged small-talk with the visitors. I smiled to myself as I heard Danielle's voice in the entranceway, speaking in return.

"How's everything been since last time?" asked Danielle, still not coming inside.

"Good," admitted Carlisle. "She's doing well."

"Great."

That was Cole… I shivered.

"She and Emmett are waiting for us in the sitting room," said Carlisle as the trio approached, letting me look down to the floor.

It was swirly and wooden and full of tree-knots-

"Hello Isabella," said Danielle kindly, making me look up. She looked the same as I remembered, but instead of having her hair pulled back, she had it down around her shoulders.

"Hi," I said squeakily- the way it always was when I was uncomfortable or nervous. She smiled again as Doctor Cullen invited them to sit down, waiting for them to start.

"How have the past eight weeks been, Isabella?" asked Danielle gently, grabbing her pen and clipboard once more.

"Good."

"Alright," she said, scribbling on her paper. "You seem much more relaxed."

I shrugged, letting Emmett's hold tighten. Jake, ever vigilant, stared at Danielle warily, his body tense.

"This is your brother?" she asked me, eying Emmett carefully. I nodded, making her smile.

"And who's this?"

Jake stared at her, his eyes sharp and dark.

"Jake," I offered quietly, patting his head. "He's nice."

Jake snarled at Danielle, and I frowned.

"No," I said sternly, making him fall silent. Danielle watched Jake for a moment longer before she turned to Carlisle.

"We got the fax about her prescriptions," said Danielle formally, "but we'd like to ask you a bit more about that."

"I sent all the documents down," said Carlisle with a frown. "You already know everything."

Danielle ignored him.

"Intermittent ventricular tachycardia?" she confirmed, flipping through a new file. Cole was very watchful now, paying very close attention.

"Yes."

"Do you mind if we record this?" asked Danielle suddenly, pulling a small tape-recorder out of her pocket. I shied away from it, vowing to be very quiet.

I knew she'd listen to it again later, just like the Doctor did.

"I guess not," said Carlisle carefully. "Might I ask why?"

"Legal reasons," said Cole quietly. "If she won't testify, we need all the evidence we can get."

I shivered and closed my eyes softly, making Emmett and Jake both tense up.

Danielle pressed record.

"Intermittent ventricular tachycardia?" asked Danielle again, restating her point for the recorder.

"Yes."

"Which tests has Isabella undergone so far?" she inquired.

"She's had an exercise stress test, and EKG and a Holter test," said Carlisle carefully. "She's scheduled for an echocardiogram and a chest x-ray in September."

"Why so late?" asked Danielle.

"Her cardiologist is located in Seattle. There's always a waiting list for radiology, but if she worsens she'll get in earlier."

"Good," said Danielle, writing on her board. "What's the name of her cardiologist?"

"Doctor Eleazar Denali from Seattle General."

"What medications has he prescribed her?"

"Two milligrams of Lorazepam as needed and 25 milligrams of Atenolol daily," said Carlisle, making me frown.

She wanted to know about my medicines.

"What's their purpose?"

"Lorazepam is an anti-anxiety medication," he said easily. "It'll help her calm down if she's panicking. Atenolol is a beta-blocker."

"Beta-blocker?" asked Danielle carefully, not even looking at me.

I watched her closely.

"It'll help suppress the arrhythmia until we can diagnose and treat the cause."

"Thank you," she said, scribbling some more on her board. Cole, having been sitting still as a statue, was now rummaging through her briefcase, looking for something else.

"You mentioned anxiety," said Danielle carefully, checking her notes. Emmett, I saw, was now tense and unhappy, glaring at this woman.

"Yes," said Carlisle carefully.

"Is the anxiety, in your opinion, attributed to the treatment she underwent during her time with Doctor James Dupont?" she asked.

I cringed at the sound of the doctor's name, trying not to panic. Emmett squeezed my shoulder in a friendly way.

"Is this a check up or an inquisition?" asked Carlisle suddenly, turning towards Cole as well. I hadn't realized he was getting so unhappy with them…

"Please answer the question."

"What do you plan to do with this tape recording?" he asked suddenly. "I was under the impression that you were here to verify that Bella was being properly cared for in her new home."

Emmett held me even tighter.

"Doctor Cullen, you have to understand that this case is very time-sensitive," said Danielle. "The prosecution needs to collect all the evidence it can before-"

"What's your job title, exactly?" he asked, his voice no longer welcoming.

"Cole and I are special agents with the FBI," she said easily. "We've been trying to track down James Dupont for years."

Flinch.

"You're not a social worker?" he demanded.

"I have a degree in social work," she said hesitantly. "I'm often assigned to children's cases."

"You're not employed as a social worker for the state of Arizona?" he asked again, his voice harsh. "I was under the impression that you were actually _qualified _to interrogate my children."

"I _am _a qualified social worker," said Danielle patiently. "Today, however, I'm here as an agent."

"Great," said Carlisle sarcastically. "Might I suggest that you stop investigating James Dupont for a few moments and focus on what's important here?"

Danielle glared back at him, her face reddening.

"_Every _detail is important, Doctor Cullen," she said angrily. "Everything you say is incriminating him further and further-"

"Might I remind you, Miss Ford, that _Bella _is what's important?" he said distastefully. "I understand that you want to lock Dupont up, but you're making my daughter incredibly uncomfortable."

I was shocked as I stared at him… how had he known I was uncomfortable?

"Isabella knows that this is a sensitive-"

"_Bella," _he said emphatically, "would probably like to get this over with."

"We have a right to ask you questions about her-"

"About her mental, emotional and physical well-being," he corrected. "Not about my medical opinion. I'll answer questions about her health, but I'm not about to let you exploit my medical degree for the sake of your case. You won't force me onto the witness stand."

Danielle stared at him for a long moment before she retaliated.

"I've never appealed to your medical judgement," she defended. "I asked for your _opinion."_

"My opinion is invalid unless I'm a medical doctor with experience in child psychology," said Carlisle angrily, his eyes blazing. "Enough of this nonsense and focus on what you're supposed to be doing."

He sounded more like Doctor Cullen than Carlisle now… he was mad.

"Will all due respect, Doctor Cullen," said Cole suddenly, looking unhappy. "If Isabella refuses to testify, we have very little to go on."

I would _not _testify… no, no, no. I _wouldn't _face that man again. I didn't want to _ever _look at him now that he was gone-

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," said Carlisle, "but I refuse to let you make her even more unhappy than she already is. Get on with your questions, and stop trying to put us on the witness stand. You're here to verify her safety and security, not to get yourself a mock-affidavit. "

Danielle and Cole both sighed and she turned her paper over, looking at me.

"Isabella, how've you been feeling since you've been here?"

I stared at her for a long moment, looking at Carlisle. He smiled at me, his eyes still unhappy as I hesitated.

"Fine."

"Fine?" asked Danielle doubtfully. "Have you been sick at all?"

"Yeah," I said, shrugging. "Edward and I went hiking outside and it rained on me."

"That sounds like fun," she said, smiling. "What happened then?"

"I don't know," I said. "I got sick and Emmett was there then Esme was and then Carlisle came and brought me to his clinic," I whispered. "He listened to my heart and brought me to Seattle."

"What did you think of Doctor Denali?" she asked.

"He's okay," I said robotically. "He's nice."

"Great," she said, sounding incredibly displeased. I saw Cole watching her expectantly before she glanced over at Doctor Cullen, who was looking quite miffed.

"Bella, do you ever have panic attacks?" she asked.

I shivered and nodded, not liking where this was going.

"Out loud, sweetheart. The recorder can't see you."

"Yes." My voice was nothing more than a small whisper, but she seemed satisfied.

"Do you think that your panic attacks are because of what happened in Phoenix?"

Flinch.

I stared at her, alarmed and unhappy.

"Enough," said Carlisle angrily. "Didn't I just tell you to let that go?"

"It's a legitimate question," defended Danielle. "It's crucial-"

"I think we're done here," he said angrily, getting up. "I'll have to ask you to leave."

"We're not done with the questions," said Cole simply.

"You can contact my lawyer, and we'll set up another time to get together," he said simply.

Emmett was staring at his father, impressed.

Jake whined, kissing my hand.

"I don't think you want to take this to the lawyers, Doctor Cullen," said Cole darkly, sounding angry and frustrated. Emmett hugged me close as I shivered, not liking how he was speaking to Carlisle, before Carlisle stood as well.

"It would seem that the two of you are more interested in the logistics of your case than the emotional well-being of a child," he said simply. "I won't let you make her any more uncomfortable in her own home than she already is. You already pried these answers from her before you sent her to us."

He sounded so firm, so authoritative.

"We don't mean any offence," said Cole easily. "We just want to know what happened."

"Ask someone else," he suggested. "You have no right to come into her home and badger her like she's in your interrogation room."

"What exactly did you think would be going on here?" demanded Danielle angrily. "You knew why we were coming-"

"We spoke on the phone, Miss Ford, about all the questions you'd be asking my daughter and myself. You informed me that we'd be speaking about how she was settling in, whether or not she was happy, and that you'd have a few questions about her heart condition," he said easily. "Not once did I agree to let you bring up her past."

"This entire situation is _about _her past," snarled Danielle.

"_This _visit wasn't supposed to be," argued Carlisle. "She's not comfortable speaking about it."

"She has to," said Danielle angrily, finally losing her cool. "We need to keep him behind bars."

"Well, talk to Marcus about it," said Carlisle, handing Danielle a card. She snatched it away from him and sighed heavily, thrusting it at Cole.

Who was Marcus?

"We'll be in touch," said Danielle angrily, her voice snippy and rude. I watched in shock as she left the room entirely, leaving Cole to follow. I heard her leaving the house and closing the door behind her as Doctor Cullen watched them leave, the black car disappearing down the drive for the second time in my memory.

No one spoke for a long moment, and the ticking of the wall clock in the kitchen made me edgy.

"Bella?"

Carlisle was back.

"I'm sorry she brought it up again," he said gently. "She wasn't supposed to."

"Who's Marcus?" I blurted, making him smile as he sat back down.

"Our lawyer, and my father's youngest brother," said Carlisle gently.

"Your dad?" I asked, amazed as Emmett smiled. He kept quiet as he hugged me, and Carlisle continued.

"My father, Aro, lives in an Italian town called Volterra," he explained. "He and my mother moved over to Jacksonville back in the sixties. I was born and raised here, but once I was out of the house and in pre-law, the two of them moved back to the family home in Italy."

"Oh."

"My uncle Marcus moved down when I was just entering high school and went right to law school. Marcus is much younger than my father is- only five years older than myself. He's been more of a brother to me than an uncle."

"Where does he live now?" I asked curiously.

"Seattle," he explained. "He runs a law firm."

"Uncle M is pretty cool," said Emmett easily. "He sends wicked Christmas shit."

"Language, Emmett," said Carlisle sternly, looking torn between disapproval and amusement.

"He'll probably send you some awesome stuff this year, Boo."

"Most likely, yes," said Carlisle, smiling. "Marcus never married and never had kids of his own, so he likes to spoil mine."

I nodded, trying to picture what he might look like.

"Marcus is an excellent friend," he continued, "and he's very good at what he does. I'm positive he'll be able to control Danielle's questioning."

"Oh."

"Esme should be home very soon," said Carlisle gently, glancing at the clock. Danielle had only been here for twenty minutes before Carlisle had kicked her out. I was still mildly impressed that he'd been so mean to her, but I sort of liked it.

He'd _protected _me from her, just like he promised he would all those weeks ago. Carlisle, the blonde-haired doctor, hadn't let Danielle attack me with her words. He'd forced her to be quiet and he'd forced her to not make me uncomfortable.

He'd made me _safe._

With that realization I stood on my feet, tearing myself out of Emmett's grasp. Jake whined nervously and Emmett stared, mildly alarmed as I jerked myself away. I stood on my feet, feeling the smooth wood beneath my floor as I stared at Carlisle for a long moment, debating with myself.

Jake's tail thumped again, just as it had this morning, and I knew exactly what he was saying.

_Just do it. Go._

With three large steps, I crossed the distance between Carlisle and myself and for the first time ever, I threw my arms around him in a hug. I felt him tense in shock before he reciprocated gently, the feeling foreign, but not unwanted. He was much taller than me- taller than Emmett- but the feeling was very, very nice.

I felt safe, standing there with this blonde doctor hugging me.

_Safe, safe, safe._

"Thank you," I mumbled, my voice muffled by his front. I felt him pat my hair before he whispered his reply, ever soft and gentle.

"You're welcome."

**A/N: Please leave a review!**


	22. Chapter 21

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 21**

**A/N: Here we are with the 21st chapter... I hope you enjoy it! **

**...and please don't hate Carlisle too much. :)**

CPOV

I sat at the wooden table in my dining room as I watched my wife in the kitchen, loading our dishwasher full of dirty dinner dishes. She moved meticulously- grab, rinse, shelve, repeat.

She grabbed a plate.

"How was your day?" she asked idly, her voice carrying over the clinking of glass and the thrumming of water in the metal sink.

"Alright," I admitted carefully as Alice took the last of the dishes and handed them to her mother, kissing her cheek gently as she loped away, ready to do whatever it was my enthusiastic daughter loved to do during her post-meal free time. Alice was always on the go, and it was almost impossible to follow what she was doing. Her mind- one of the most unique minds I'd encountered yet- was always moving. It was always churning out new ideas, and it was only natural that she want to explore every whim and concept her mind presented her with.

"Just alright?" asked Esme concernedly, grabbing the last of the forks and placing them in the small basket. I kept quiet as she closed the door and started it up, letting the machine do its work. She washed her hands thoroughly before she turned back to me, concern nearly radiating off of her.

"It was fine," I amended. "Nothing to worry about."

"What happened?" she asked. "Bella seemed fine at dinner-"

"She _is _fine," I said honestly. "I'm just not too fond of that social worker."

"Danielle?" asked Esme confusedly. "I found her nice…"

I scoffed angrily, looking up.

"She and that partner of hers nearly made me lose it," I admitted.

She stared at me, concerned as ever.

"I kicked them out."

"Carlisle!" she said, aghast. I watched as a wide range of emotions surged through her- anger, embarrassment, concern, sadness, curiosity…

"She crossed the line," I said angrily. "She was interrogating us."

"I thought you'd approved her questions," she said gently. "She did send them, didn't she?"

"I thought she did," I said angrily. "She _started_ with the arrhythmia."

"Then?" she prompted, clearly not in any position to let this go.

If I had it my way, I'd keep my sensitive, caring wife in the dark about Danielle harassing Bella, but not only did Esme have a right to know, she _wanted _to know about Bella's business. She wanted to keep her safe and unharmed.

"She started on me," I admitted. "It wasn't _that _bad of a question…"

"But?"

"But I knew exactly what she was doing," I growled. "She obviously forgot that I have some experience with legal matters."

"What did she ask?" asked Esme sceptically, not too sure what Danielle could have possibly asked to get such a reaction out of me.

I was known both in public and within my family to be the philanthropist, the peacemaker and the pacifist. I understood the value of words over confrontation, the importance of reason overriding emotional choices. I was the one who was objective- able to look at both sides of an issue.

Just not when two federal agents were trying to coax a testimony out of my children and I without my consent. Not when they were making Bella uneasy in her own home.

The last thing I, or any member of this family, wanted was for Bella to grow fearful again. We'd worked too damn hard for Danielle to waltz in and shut her down again. Bella would be comfortable here, and if it took me making an example of Danielle in front of her to keep her feeling safe and loved, then so be it.

I'd far rather Danielle be angry with me than Bella.

"She brought her past into the story," I began, "and then she asked for my opinion."

Esme stared at me, unimpressed by my apparent overreaction. She looked disappointed, if anything.

"You kicked the federal agents working on Bella's case out of our home because they asked your opinion?" she demanded, sounding more angry than sad. I stared at her, sighing heavily.

"I know what they were doing," I repeated.

"And what exactly was that?" she demanded.

"They had a tape recorder, Esme," I said angrily. "They were recording it. That should have been my first clue."

"They need to take evidence-"

"Exactly!" I said angrily, making her frown. "They were taking _evidence."_

"Right." She was mad now, and I sighed, trying to keep my cool.

Bella was a touchy subject with me… she was the most vulnerable, most easily manipulated of my kids, and I didn't want her to be taken advantage of.

"They were going to use it in court," I said softly. "They were going to ask her all the questions they'd have asked her on the witness stand in court."

She stared at me, the gears turning in her mind. I could almost see the pieces fitting together in her mind as she calmed herself down, the object of her anger shifting from me and my bad behaviour to the American justice system.

"My opinion would be useless in court unless I had a medical licence and experience with child psychology," I explained. "That's why Danielle asked for me to be there and not you."

Esme stared at me. The two of us had been quite baffled when the letter from the officials said that they wanted Dr. Carlisle Gregorio Cullen to attend the meeting between Bella and the workers, not my wife or Bella's siblings. I'd been almost positive that they'd request Esme, Alice, Emmett and myself to be present alongside the three of them, but all they'd asked for was me.

They didn't want Bella's guardian… they wanted her doctor.

"Danielle Ford had every intention of using my medical background and my proximity to her subject to coax an unofficial testimony out of both Bella and myself that she could use in court."

Esme watched me, looking grimly satisfied.

"Well, at least she didn't get very far," she sniffed. "I'm glad you defended her."

"So am I."

"I wasn't going to allow her to stray from our agreement so she could force Bella back into her past," I said bluntly. "She deserves to feel safe here, not harassed."

Esme watched me with saddened, defeated eyes.

"She's too quiet," she decided. "Too unsure…"

"I know."

Bella Swan had progressed in leaps and bounds since she'd come to us, but she was still too far from the mark. She was still too timid, too shy and too socially inept to socialize with her peers and live a normal life.

Bella had no idea how to be a kid. She had absolutely no clue how to cope with even the simplest dilemmas life presented her with, and she didn't know how to reason. Little things were blown out of proportion and huge problems were swept under the rug. She was naïve, she was timid, she was negative, and she was scared.

Isabella Swan needed someone to teach her how to live- someone who could talk to her and coach her through the most basic scenarios she should have encountered years ago.

Someone who wasn't my wife or myself. Someone who didn't scare the living daylights out of her.

"How was she afterwards?" asked Esme nervously, watching me carefully. I saw the mask she was trying to put on- one of avid, but gentle concern- and I identified it for what it was- a mask. Behind it I could see right into her true self- I saw the fear, the discontent, the discomfort and the defeat, and I knew she was worrying.

"Fine," I admitted. "The whole interrogation shook her up a bit, but she seemed alright."

"_Seemed _alright?" quoted Esme worriedly. "Do you _know _she was okay?"

I grinned at the memory of her thin little arms encompassing me in a hug, and I nodded.

"She initiated physical contact with me."

"She what?" asked Esme excitedly, watching me happily.

"She hugged me afterwards and thanked me."

It had been worth it… I'd give her the world and then some if she'd continue to trust me like she had this morning.

"That's fantastic!" said my wife excitedly. She was so happy, she looked almost tearful.

We'd waited far too long for Bella to gain some semblance of trust with us… it was easier for Esme to earn her affection, simply because she was a gentle, kindhearted woman instead of me- the tall, blonde doctor she was convinced was out to get her. It had taken almost two months for her to put even the slightest amount of trust in me, no matter how kind and gentle I was with her.

Thank God for my long-standing patience. If I'd had Emmett's patience, I'd most definitely have chased the poor girl right out the door by now.

"Carlisle?" said Esme, suddenly sad again as she stared right at me.

"Hm?"

"She needs help."

The two of us fell into an uncomfortable silence as her words lingered in the air, their meaning foreboding. I breathed a heavy sigh as the truth of her statement sunk in, knowing that she was right. The idea had been floating around my mind for a long time now, and I couldn't help but wonder when it was going to come to the surface.

I'd been trying to postpone it, knowing how negatively our newest child would react. I knew very well that the very idea of us sending her away to a strange person with the title of "doctor" hanging in front of their name would send the girl into hysterics. She'd think we were getting rid of her.

"I know," I said heavily.

Bella couldn't help herself. Emmett and Alice weren't enough for her. Esme and I had failed to bring her out of her fear. Edward- Bella's very first friend- had been unable to pull her out of her rut and give her that extra push she needed to move on.

Nobody deserved security and normalcy more than Isabella Swan. No one deserved better than that poor girl did right now.

She deserved to be happy.

"Carlisle?" asked Esme softly, pulling me from my musings as I turned back to her.

"Yes?" I asked softly, glancing at the clock.

7:26

"What about Carmen?"

"Carmen in Port Angeles?" I asked, slightly astonished. Esme's eyes rolled as her lips turned up into a grin.

"Yes, Carmen in Port Angeles," she teased. "She's qualified…"

"What's her title, exactly?" I asked sceptically.

"She has a medical degree specializing in child psychiatry," said Esme easily, making me nod. "She's been working with kids up there for almost seven years."

Carmen Sanchez was one of Esme's best friends. The two had been nearly inseparable since their first year of high school in Jacksonville. After I'd gone away for my first year of pre-law at Harvard, Esme had stayed back at the University of Florida with Carmen, who was enrolled in their pre-med program. When Harvard hadn't worked out for me, I'd transferred to Dartmouth to start medical school for myself and Esme had reluctantly followed, never losing touch with her Floridian friend. Carmen had moved up to Seattle for her residency while Esme and I had stayed in New Hampshire. The pair of them kept up with one another through phone calls and letters and after I'd completed my residency and the two of us were engaged, Esme had begged me to move up north to Washington state, where her friend was.

Of course, I'd obliged and before long, the two of us were settled in our home here in Forks, where I was working as a physician. Edward had come to us less than a year later and by that time, Carmen had moved out of Seattle to Port Angeles to open her own private practice. From then on, both she and Esme made a point of getting together at least once a month.

Esme hadn't seen Carmen since Bella had arrived- we'd been far too busy.

"I didn't know she'd specialized in psych," I said, impressed. It took someone very special to focus on such a controversial, difficult area. At least with most other practices, you were dealing with a physical ailment… mental disorders were so much more difficult to deal with.

You could cut away and replace almost any damaged organ, but you couldn't replace someone's mind. You couldn't replace someone's memories, experiences or emotions.

"She didn't intend to," said Esme honestly. "You know as well as I do that she focused on pediatrics in Seattle."

"Right," I said, nodding. "Then what?"

Esme stared at me, torn between amusement and irritation at my lack of knowledge about her friend.

"She came across a rare case of juvenile schizophrenia one night in the ER," explained Esme. "The girl was pretty far advanced and it piqued her interest."

"Good for her," I praised, nodding. Esme smiled widely at me before she sighed again, looking saddened.

"I'm sure Carmen would take her," she said softly. "Carmen would be good for her."

Carmen Sanchez was a woman of Spanish descent with dark, curling hair and soft brown eyes. She might have been a doctor, but she looked nothing like Bella's Doctor, nor did she share any semblance to the fiery, red-haired orderly named Victoria.

If anything, she'd remind Bella of Esme. The two were close enough to be sisters.

"I'll look into it," I said softly. Esme nodded firmly, looking up.

"Look in Seattle too," she advised. "Just in case. Carmen might be full."

"I will," I vowed. "There'll be someone out there to take her on."

"I hope so."

"There is," I said again, reaching over to pull her into a hug. "We'll just have to find them."

"Carmen'll do it," she said again, her voice confident and easy. "I'm sure of it."

"We don't even know how she'll respond," I reminded her, making her frown and look up at me.

"I doubt Carmen will react badly," she said tartly. "She has a bit more tact than that-"

"Not Carmen, sweetheart," I clarified. "Bella."

"Oh," said Esme, shaking her head.

She was stressed. A stressed out Esme always meant a little snappiness, and maybe a few emotional moments.

"I'm sure she'll be reasonable," said Esme doubtfully, her voice betraying her fear.

We both knew very well that Bella would be anything but reasonable when we breached the subject with her. Bella would only know how to associate a psychiatrist with Doctor Dupont- the hurtful man who also happened to hold a medical licence and a PhD in psychology.

"She'll be alright," I said quickly. "She'll be fine."

"Right," said Esme, nodding to herself as she absorbed my words.

I prayed to God that my words weren't lies.

"I'll give Carmen a call soon enough to make sure she's available," I said quickly. "We'll ask Bella once we're sure she'll have a spot in Carmen's clinic."

"Okay," she said in a whisper, sounding not only stressed, but worn out.

"I hope she won't panic," said Esme mournfully, making me frown as I remembered Bella's panic-stricken face that first morning with us. I remembered how she'd lost control of herself, completely succumbing to the emotions that accompanied her memories. I remembered how she'd cowered on the floor, giving in to the instincts engrained in her and shut herself down, trying to hide herself from the world by curling in on herself.

It had pained me to watch her flinch as I pried her fists away from her hair before she pulled it out by the roots.

That sort of behaviour had to stop, and if Carmen could help her, then we'd do it. We'd _make_ her go and talk it out… we'd give Bella her life back.

Bella would be fine. I'd make sure of it.

**A/N: Don't be too mad at them... they're doing what's best. Now we all know how Bella's going to react to the idea of Carmen (no matter how nice she is) but all Carlisle and Esme want is for Bella to get better and be happy.**

**Great response last chapter, everyone! Let's see if you can keep it up.**


	23. Chapter 22

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 22**

**A/N: A little late, but that's okay. I hope you enjoy this next chapter! :)**

BPOV

This was a very, very awkward breakfast.

My oatmeal sat in front of me with strawberries on the side as Carlisle sipped his coffee and read his newspaper next to me. Emmett shovelled scrambled eggs into his mouth from the other end of the table and Esme stood at the counter, making two cups of peppermint tea.

One for Edward, one for herself.

Carlisle kept looking over at me, and every time he did, Esme looked at him. Emmett looked at everyone confusedly while I stared intently at my porridge, determined not to react.

Why was Carlisle watching me?

"Well, I'm done," said Emmett finally, after a few moments of silence. I sighed heavily as he grabbed his plate and brought it to the sink, rinsing it briefly before he left.

Now, there was only Esme, Carlisle and I.

"Do you need anything else, Bella?" asked Esme quietly, forcing me to look up at her as I took another bite.

"No thanks," I said, wishing with all my might that Jake would hurry up outside and come back. I missed him when he was gone, and it would be nice to have a friend while Carlisle watched me eat.

"Alright dear," she said gently. "I'll go find Edward."

And with that, she took both cups of tea and disappeared after my brother, leaving me alone with Carlisle and my breakfast.

I ate steadily and quietly, determined not to react. I knew better than to think that Carlisle would hurt me, but he was still acting very strange and I had no idea why. What was he thinking so seriously about that had to do with me?

It _must _have been about me… why else would he be staring at me like that? Why else would he be watching me so intently as I ate oatmeal?

I ate just a bit faster, wanting to be finished and get out of this kitchen.

"Bella?" he asked finally, making me drop my spoon in surprise. It clattered noisily into the bowl as I turned towards him, questioning and quiet. He watched me sadly for a short moment, hesitating before he spoke.

"How are you?"

"Fine?" I said quickly, the statement coming out as a question. He smiled wryly and nodded glancing once more at his newspaper. As I took another bite he folded up his newspaper, sitting it under the napkin holder on the centre of the table. He drained the rest of his coffee quickly before he stood up and put it in the dishwasher, taking his time.

While he was gone, I managed to shovel down the rest of my oatmeal. He came and took my bowl and spoon from me, letting me thank him quickly before I scampered out of the dining room, leaving him behind.

He was being very strange.

"Bella?" Esme called as I entered the living room. She and Edward were sitting together on a sofa, drinking their tea and watching the morning news as I sat myself down as well, watching her carefully.

Was she going to be strange too?

"Good morning," I offered to the both of them, earning me a smile from Edward.

"Morning Bella," he said easily. I watched as he sipped his tea, making me grimace.

"It's good," he defended quickly, watching me as I stared.

Just yesterday, Edward had decided that I needed to be exposed to peppermint tea… needless to say, I hated it.

Edward wasn't convinced… he said I needed to try it again, that it was an _acquired _taste.

"No it's not," I said honestly as he chuckled and Esme smiled, watching me for a short moment.

I wished people would stop watching me.

"To each his own," said Edward breezily, turning his attention back to the television.

"_Flights are grounded all over Europe today after massive amounts of rain have flooded runways…" _said the newsman.

"Bella, I think Carlisle wants to talk to you," said Esme quietly, watching me as the report about rain and airplanes went on. I glanced over at her, unhappy as she smiled kindly, turning her attention back to the television.

I didn't want to speak to Carlisle while he was being so strange. He was a little spooky.

"Bella?" asked Carlisle, coming into the room. He'd obviously been listening at the door while Esme explained his wishes to me, and I frowned.

"Hi," I offered politely, trying my hardest to be nice. He came into the room and sat himself down.

"Do you want to talk here or up in my study?" he asked gently. "It doesn't matter to me."

"Here," I said easily, glancing at Edward. He was watching us intently, looking confused.

"It's nothing terrible," said Carlisle quickly. "Just something that Esme and I need to address."

"What did I do?" I asked quickly, running through my time here to discover what I'd done wrong. What had I done to deserve a serious conversation with Carlisle and Esme?

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Don't worry."

I was already worrying.

"Esme and I want to ask what you'd think if we sent you to see someone," he said awkwardly.

"Who?"

"Her name is Carmen," said Esme quickly, making Edward frown sadly as he watched me. "She's one of my closest friends."

"Oh."

"Carmen would speak with you and help you with your anxiety," explained Carlisle. "She'd be able to get you through things that you're finding difficult."

"Like _he _did,"I said fearfully. "Like the Doctor in his counseling room with the-"

"No, sweetheart," said Esme quickly, looking alarmed. "Carmen is nothing like that man."

"She _is," _I said emphatically, looking as hard as I could for a way out… I didn't want to talk anymore.

"Carmen is a certified child psychiatrist," explained Carlisle softly. "She knows how to-"

"I don't want to."

"Bella, please consider it," begged Esme sadly. "I think she'd really be able to help you-"

"No."

"Carmen won't hurt you," said Esme again as Carlisle sat back in his seat, letting her take over. "She's a very kind lady who's-"

"I don't want to," I repeated pitifully, my voice shaky and low. Edward watched this sudden interaction with saddened eyes and I stared over at him.

_He'd _get me out of this.

"Please think about it, sweetheart," said Esme mournfully. "Carlisle and I only want you to be happy."

"You want to send me back," I accused tearfully, feeling the moisture building up.

She'd said she _loved _me.

"No!" she said, aghast. "We'd _never _send you back-"

"You want me to go to another Doctor!" I cried fearfully. "You want her to talk and you want _me _to talk, just like _he_ did in the counseling room and she'll zap me!" I wailed. "I _know_ it!"

"Carmen won't hurt you," she repeated in a quiet whisper. "She's a good friend of mine, and I trust her."

"Please don't make me," I begged. "Please-"

"Just think about it," said Carlisle gently. "Please don't get yourself worked up.

Too late.

"I don't want to," I said. "I don't, don't, _don't _want to."

"I know that," he said gently. "I know."

"Will you make me?"

"We'll talk about it another time," he said, avoiding his answer. "Just give it some thought."

"I don't want to talk to her."

I _wouldn't _talk to her… she'd see how stupid and terrible I was and she'd tell Esme to send me back. She'd make Esme angry with me because she was Esme's friend, and I wasn't.

"What's scaring you?" asked Carlisle gently, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Why are you so upset?"

I stared at him incredulously.

"I _know _what they do," I said ominously. "I _know."_

"Do you?" he asked challengingly. "Do you know Carmen?"

"I know what she does," I countered saucily, making him smile briefly. "I know she's a doctor."

"Right," he said softly. "So am I."

I fell silent, making his smile widen.

"See?" he asked gently. "Carmen is no more of a threat to you than I am."

I saw it in his face just then- he would _make_ me go. He would force me to sit with that woman while she asked me questions and zapped me with her stun gun. He would make me listen to her and take her bad medicines and he didn't care what I thought.

Doctor Cullen was going to make me go, and I shied away from him, curling my legs up onto the chair. The smaller I was, the less there was of me for him to stare at.

I felt two fat tears escape as he sighed heavily, sitting back on his chair. He and Esme exchanged a glance before she stood up and walked towards me, making me cringe away.

I hid my face in my knees so I didn't have to look at her. She was just as bad as him.

"Sweetheart, please don't shy away," she said sadly, earning no response from me.

Yeah right… _sweetheart. _She hated me.

"Please look at me," she said softly, kneeling down to my level. I cringed back as she went to touch my arm (I was peeking through my knees), and she recoiled quickly, looking incredibly sad.

"No." My voice was muffled and tearful as I shrank back, doing the only thing I knew how to do to protect myself from her- I hid. She took a deep breath and stood up, shooting her husband a sad glance before she backed off, sitting down on the sofa again.

Edward watched the entire interaction with sad eyes as I looked up from my hiding place, my eyes tearful and red.

"Don't cry," said Esme sadly. "Oh honey, please don't cry."

"I don't want to go," I repeated shakily, feeling the panic coming.

Better late than never.

"We're not making a decision now," said Carlisle quickly, seeing my upcoming episode. "Relax."

"We should have never brought it up," said Esme mournfully. Carlisle shushed her quickly as Edward sighed heavily and stood up, stepping a little closer. Carlisle saw him coming and let him approach, coming closer and closer as I tried to count my breaths like I was supposed to.

Edward was allowed to come close, and I was almost glad when his hand touched my own, looking hesitant. Carlisle left the room quickly- no doubt to grab my Ativan pills- and Esme sat back on the sofa, watching the interaction between Edward and I.

He was safe.

"I don't want to," I moaned sadly, looking up at him. "Don't make me."

He didn't speak, knowing that my visit to Doctor Carmen's office wasn't his choice and simply fell sat down on the armrest next to me, looking careful.

"Come upstairs with me," he offered gently. "We'll watch a movie or something."

I nodded quickly and let him help me up, taking my hand in his.

"We'll be up in my room," he told Esme gently.

His room? I'd never set foot in Edward's bedroom before, and I was suddenly apprehensive.

"Come on, Bella," he said gently, tugging my hand gently to move me forward. My feet moved on their own accord and I followed him right up the stairs to the third floor, where the hallway branched off in two directions: left was my room, right was Edward's. For the first time since I'd arrived in this house, I turned right instead of left and moved to the closed door that was hiding Edward's bedroom.

The tears still fell.

He opened the door for me and let me inside before him, letting me get a good look around before the door fell shut and he watched me curiously, looking almost nervous.

"This is it," he said with a shrug. "It's sort of different-"

"It's nice," I said.

Nice was an understatement. I don't think I'd ever seen such a nice room as this one… not Esme's, not Alice's, not Emmett's and not even mine. The entire floor wasn't wooden like mine was, but it was covered in a thick golden carpet. He had music CDs covering the shelves on one whole wall with a giant CD player in the middle of it. He had a large black, metal bed with golden covers and a television on the opposite wall.

But that's not what was so amazing… the entire left side of the room wasn't a wall- it was a giant window.

And I loved it.

"Come on in," he said, chuckling as he led me to the black sofa sitting against the window wall. I sat down carefully, glancing all around me as I tried to take it all in at once.

He sat too, and before long, everything was very, very quiet.

"Are you alright?" he asked me, repeating the familiar phrase he often said whenever he felt I was distressed.

"Fine," I lied easily, chancing a glance at him.

He was staring too, but it didn't unnerve me like Carlisle's staring did. Without another word, he nodded and looked away, examining his many disc cases and television.

"Which movie would you like to watch?" he asked, standing up. I shrugged, not being very apt with popular culture, letting him decide.

"Comedy, romance, horror or drama?" he asked quickly, scanning the shelf.

"Comedy," I answered easily.

Funny, not lovey, scary or dramatic.

"This is hilarious," he said brightly, his face lit up with anticipation as he snatched a case off of the shelf.

_The Hangover, _it said.

"What's it about?" I asked hesitantly.

"You'll see."

The movie began to play almost as soon as Edward had draped himself over the large golden bed across from the television, leaving me on the sofa. The previews played as he shoved the rumpled covers down with his feet, resting only on the pillows and fitted sheet.

"Come over here," he said. "You'll be able to see better." Gently, I moved over to his bed and stood beside it awkwardly. He patted the spot next to him without looking at me and let me slip beside him, resting on his spare pillow.

"Comfy?" he asked idly, glancing over as he rested his head on his arm. His hair fell into his eyes and I watched with mild amusement as he brushed it aside, a small frown creasing his forehead.

"Yeah."

"Good," he said decidedly, resting once again against the wall. I scooted a little further away from the metal post beside me and copied his actions, determined to make myself look as comfortable as he expected me to be in his company.

The video began to play and although I didn't understand the puns and jokes they made, I did find great amusement in watching Edward's frowns and chuckles as the characters' vulgar language and obscene actions floated through the room. Rarely had I seen Edward so uninhibited around the other members of his family and it made me smile to see him so relaxed in his own space.

In the privacy of his room, Edward reminded me something of my brother- he was much more relaxed than he was in front of others.

He also seemed to be moving closer.

At the beginning of the film, there was a large pillow separating us. Half an hour into it, he'd moved it aside because his arm didn't rest properly on top of it. Half an hour after that, he'd sat up and scooted a little closer to me again.

Now, I could feel his leg touching mine.

"Do you like it?" he asked gently as the film continued and a naked man jumped out of the back of a car.

"It's funny," I admitted, my face screwed up in astonishment as the nude man attacked another man. Edward laughed loudly- a large belly-laugh- and I couldn't resist the urge to chuckle as well.

Carlisle's Carmen business was almost at the back of my mind…

…_almost._

As Edward finished laughing, he stretched his arms up and sighed heavily, letting them fall to the side- one landed on the mattress, the hand hanging off the edge, and the other landed on me.

On my shoulders.

Just a few days ago, I'd spotted Emmett and Rosalie sitting together like this- her leaning on him and him with his arm around her shoulder.

And they were _dating._

Edward's arm felt nice where he put it and before I could put very much thought into it, I felt it tugging me closer to him. My head fell against him as he curled his arm easily, watching the movie intently.

"Does this bother you?" he asked quietly, his voice taking on the quiet, concerned quality it always did with me.

"No," I said honestly, wishing with all my might that he'd keep it there.

I liked it there.

"Good." His smile was back.

Before long, the end credits of the film were rolling, but Edward remained seated on his bed with his arm around me and my head on his shoulder.

"Bella?" he asked heavily as he used the remote to turn off the DVD player and television.

"Yeah?" I said, my voice breaking the pleasant bubble we were in.

The bubble I loved only had Edward's voice- it was so soft and kind that mine just ruined all of it.

"Are you _really _alright?" he asked gently, tightening his hold on me.

He knew I'd shy away, and I didn't answer.

He continued anyways, without an answer from me.

"Carlisle would never hurt you," he said gently. "You know that."

"Carmen's not Carlisle."

"I know Carmen," he informed me. "She sends us all Christmas gifts, and she visits often enough."

"Oh."

"She's very nice."

"She has a counseling room," I countered tartly. "I don't want to."

"Bella-"

"I don't want to," I said again, my voice taking on the fearful, slightly hysterical tone it always did when I wasn't comfortable.

"Okay," he said, his low voice quiet and gentle as he drew me into a gentle hug. He turned me around in my seat so that I was facing him and wrapped both arms around me- not just one- and sighed heavily.

I could feel his heart and breathing against me, and the rhythm was soothing.

"You know you don't have to be scared, right?"

"I know," I said automatically.

"I'm not sure you do," he admitted sadly. "You're still scared."

"Only of some things," I whispered. "Not of you."

He cracked another small smile.

"Good, because if you were…" he said, trailing off sadly. "I don't want you to be scared of me."

I nodded against him and the two of us fell quiet for a long moment before he spoke again.

"Promise me you'll at least think about it?" he said finally, making me shudder again.

"I don't want to-"

"I know you don't want to," he said quickly. "I really do, but it won't hurt to give it some thought."

"Okay."

"You promise?" he pressed.

"Yes," I said quietly, resting my forehead on his shoulder again as I let his rhythmic breathing calm my overactive nerves.

"Thank you," he murmured his voice just loud enough to reach my ears in the quiet room. I felt his hold tighten on me yet again before he bent his head, and I felt his lips press themselves to my head.

I turned bright red at the thought of him kissing any part of me, but luckily, he couldn't see. He rested his cheek on the spot he'd kissed and the two of us sat together for a very short moment, before his bedroom door flew open.

"Hey you two-" said a familiar voice as Edward dropped me quickly, sitting me upright as my brother's eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" he asked loudly, his voice becoming angrier by the second. His eyes travelled from my bright red face to Edward's dusky pink cheeks before he zoned in on his brother, looking haughty.

"We were just watching a movie," said Edward quickly. "Nothing else."

"Uh huh," said Emmett sceptically. "And cuddling?"

"We weren't _cuddling," _I said, scandalized as my brother's eyes shifted to me. He said nothing to me as he watched me, his face unreadable and serious before he turned back to Edward.

"Whatever," he said dismissively, shaking his head in a very Jake-like fashion. "I just wanted to let you know, Boo, that Alice dug out some more stuff from our old place, if you want to take a look."

"Old place?" I queried, confused.

"Charlie and Renee's stuff," he clarified. "You can come down and look whenever you want."

His eyes shifted back to Edward for a moment before he backed out of the room and closed the door with a sharp click behind him, leaving Edward and I alone once more.

**A/N: Poor Bella just doesn't understand... and Edward's getting a little touchy, don't you think? I have so much fun writing Edward into this one... :)**

**Let me know what you think!**


	24. Chapter 23

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 23**

**A/N: Here we are with the 23rd chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!**

BPOV

"We should go down," said Edward, after a long, arduous pause. I glanced up at him bashfully, a little embarrassed that my brother had caught us together.

Even if we weren't doing anything bad.

"Yeah," I agreed softly, nodding my head. He stood up from his place on the bed, making sure I was steady before he let me go, stretching his arms upwards.

"Come on," he urged, jerking his chin towards the door. I scrambled out of his bed after him, scuttling along behind him as he left his room and moved to the stairs, his cheeks still tinged pink from Emmett's unexpected visit. I descended the stairs carefully, following my bronze-haired friend to the sitting room, where we found Alice and Emmett on the floor and Rosalie and Jasper sitting on the sofa on the side wall. Alice had two large boxes by her side, both open and empty, the contents strewn before her.

"Hey Bell," she said gently, smiling as I came in. A great number of things were tossed around her, all arrayed in what appeared to be vaguely organized piles.

I had no idea what any of it was.

"Come sit," she urged, reaching out her hand to take mine. Edward perched himself carefully on an armchair and gave me an encouraging smile before he relaxed back into his seat, avoiding Emmett's piercing gaze.

Rosalie and Jasper were watching him too, and I wondered if he'd get angry with them for staring.

"This is all stuff from our old place," said Alice carefully, assessing my reaction.

I stared at it blankly, not knowing exactly what to make of it. Alice didn't seem to mind my ignorance and simply handed me a photo album, letting me hold it in my hands.

"Go ahead," she said quietly. "There are a lot of our old pictures in here… you know, baby pictures and stuff."

"Oh."

I stood up from the uncomfortable floor and sat awkwardly in another armchair as the burgundy album rested on my lap, the yellowing edges of the pages sticking out of the book. Alice was watching me carefully as I let it rest there, working up the strength to open it.

I might not have known Charlie and Renee Swan for very long but based on the two memories I _did _have of them, I knew these pictures were bound to hurt a little.

I'd never had a chance to miss my parents before now.

Opening the first page, I frowned deeply, seeing an unfamiliar photo. Five people were there together, four of them smiling and bright.

In the back, I recognized Charlie and Renee. Charlie's moustache wasn't as dense as it was in my memory but it was still there, and Renee's hair was much, much longer. Renee was in a hospital bed- I definitely recognized that- and on each side of her, in the bed, were two more children. The boy was grinning proudly as he stared at the camera and the waif-like little girl gazed up with a beaming smile. Charlie's arm was around Renee's shoulders as she reclined, her arms wrapped around another small bundle.

A baby.

"Is that me?" I asked gently, frowning up at my sister. She was beaming as she nodded, smiling nostalgically.

"Yeah, the day you were born," she admitted. "Emmett and I were with Mrs. Finchley when dad told us that we had a new baby sister."

"Oh."

"Alice was over the moon," Emmett said, speaking up for the first time since I came in. I chanced another glance at him and was pleased to find that his face held none of his previous anger or displeasure.

"Why?" I asked curiously. Surely little Alice couldn't relate to a _baby?_

"She wanted a sister to dress up," he stated matter-of-factly. "God knows she wasn't dressing _me _up-"

"Emmett Charles," scolded Alice, thumping him on the back of his head with another book. "I'd have loved any baby, boy or girl."

"Ow… damn it Alice," he whined. "I know that."

"Good," she said decidedly, returning to her pile.

I flipped the page over, not wanting those happy faces to disappear. Another photo came up- a toothless Alice at a party with hats and cake. Emmett in front of a strange tree with coloured balls hanging from it.

Emmett and a new drum set.

Emmett breaking that drum set.

Then I saw it- little me in front of that same tree, smiling bashfully up at the camera. I stared at this mini version of myself, not knowing where she had gone.

Where had _that _Bella gone? The happy, gently-smiling little girl in the photograph?

"Alice?" I asked again, hoping I wasn't bothering her too much.

"Hm?" she asked, distracted as she looked up from the print in the book she was holding.

"What's this of?" I asked curiously. She craned her neck to see what I was looking at and frowned, shrugging.

"You," she said easily, returning to her book.

"I know, but what am I doing?" I asked awkwardly.

Emmett glanced up as well, looking shocked before he glanced at Alice warily.

"It's Christmas morning," she said carefully. "1998, I think."

"What?"

"Damn Boo," said Emmett sadly. "Christmas?"

I stared at him blankly.

"You know, the twenty fifth of December?" he prompted. "Awesome presents, Santa Claus, turkey dinner, school holidays…" He watched me expectantly but much to his chagrin, I remained completely blank.

"Fuck," he said in awe, sneaking a sad glance at Alice again, who had sadly returned her eyes to her text.

"Sorry," I said automatically, sensing their displeasure. "I-"

"Don't be sorry, Bella," said Alice sadly. "I just can't believe you don't know. That you don't _remember."_

"I want to," I said honestly. "I just don't know what this is."

"On the twenty fifth of December," she began, "it's Christmas."

"Oh."

"You get together with family and have a big dinner and everyone buys each other gifts. Carlisle sometimes goes to midnight mass, too."

"Like church mass?" I asked confusedly.

Betty had spoken often about the benefits of mass. She'd been convinced that attending mass would keep the demons away from her and then she'd be able to sleep.

"Yeah," she said, nodding gently. "You had six Christmases with us before we split up."

"Oh."

Six? How could I not remember _six _of these Christmases?

"You'll see in December," she promised. "You'll have a great Christmas this year."

"Okay," I said, not sure what I was agreeing to. I flipped the page over again, deciding to leave the details of Christmas for another time.

The next pages held four very special photos- photos that I didn't remember. There was mini-me again, standing on the edge of a river beside Charlie. I had on a ridiculous pair of overall jeans, bright yellow rain boots in the slippery mud and a long stick in my hands. Charlie had one as well and he was looking down at my khaki coloured, brimmed hat with a pink bobble on it. The look on my face was a little funny- like I was concentrating very hard on whatever it was I was doing.

I thought hard, trying to place this vaguely familiar activity.

"_Keep a good hold on the pole, Bell," encouraged Charlie gently, his voice much higher off the ground than my little ears._

"_I'm trying to," I complained. "Where'd the bobber go?"_

"_Right down there," he said patiently, pointing to a place downstream, where the bright red bobber was floating idly on the water._

"_I want a fish," I said eagerly. "D'you think one'll bite my hook?" Charlie chuckled lightly._

"_I'm sure one will, baby," he soothed. "You've just got to be patient."_

_I grumbled._

_I remembered the pride then- the great surge of pride this little-me had felt as she glanced at her yellow boots. Her daddy had big rain boots as well- green ones- and he often wore his fishing hat covered in lures out with her Uncle Billy. Uncle Billy had just _loved _her hat when she'd shown him the week before. The pink lure was her pride and joy- her very own lure just like her father used when he wanted to catch a fish._

"_Daddy look!" I cried out, disregarding any warnings he'd given me about being quiet. My father laughed indulgently as the bobber disappeared under the water._

"_Pull it in," he said eagerly. "Hook him."_

_I yanked forcefully on my line, sending myself toppling down into the mud on my backside. My father looked stunned for a moment before this tiny me began to reel in her catch, a silver trout on the end of my line._

"_I got him! I got him!" I cried excitedly, clapping my little hands together as the fish landed with a soft plop in the mud by my feet. "Look daddy, I got him!"_

"_You got him, all right," said my father indulgently. "Look at how big he is." I examined the fish closely for a short moment before I turned my attention back to my father._

"_You can put him back now, daddy," I said matter-of-factly, once I'd gotten a good look at him._

_My father stared at me in slight shock._

"_We don't put them back, Bell," he explained. "We'll take him home to mom and she'll make us some dinner-"_

"_No!" cried little me tearfully. "You can't eat my fishy!" I wailed._

_Charlie's face changed quickly from stunned to smiling as he helped this little-me up from the mud, scooping up the flopping fish. I watched in tortured anticipation as he removed the hook from its mouth and held his hand out to me._

"_Let's put him back then," he said. I felt the relief as he led me to the water's edge and instructed me to put my hand on his._

_The fish wiggled and flopped as we lowered its scaly body back into the stream, letting it slip away with the current._

"_Bye fishy!" I cried, waving my muddy, dirty hands in the direction my fish was swimming._

"_Catch anything, Charlie?" asked a strange male voice, just as the memory cut itself off._

I shook my head forcefully as the memory replayed itself, feeling very overwhelmed.

"…you okay?" asked Alice's concerned voice, flickering back to life as Charlie's face left me.

"Yeah," I said quietly, refusing to look up at her. Out of the corner of my eye I caught all five of my companions watching me intently, none of them looking very pleased.

"What did you remember this time?" asked Emmett gently, making me shrug.

"Fishing," I said sadly. "We went fishing."

He nodded his head understandingly, letting me keep my thoughts to myself for now.

I felt like crying.

"Charlie liked to fish," said Alice. "He went almost every Sunday."

"Who's Billy?" I blurted out, making Alice smile softly.

"Uncle Billy was one of dad's best friends," she admitted. "He and Charlie met at summer camp as kids."

"Oh."

"He had an accident a few years back and he's in a wheelchair now," she explained. "His daughters moved out east to New York for school about five years ago and after Billy's accident, he moved out there to be with them."

I nodded, wondering whether Billy knew what had gone on with me.

"He writes to us every so often," said Alice softly. "He knows you're back."

My head shot up as Alice smiled at me.

"He knows you don't remember much, but he still sends his love."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from crying. That mysterious voice must have belonged to Billy, my father's long-time fishing friend.

I flipped the page in the album again and was assaulted by yet another smiling family photo. Charlie was draped over the sofa with his head in Renee's lap as an even tinier version of me- still a baby- and a larger Emmett and Alice sat on his midriff, grinning. I looked unsteady up there and I smiled gently as I caught a glance at my little fists clamped around Charlie's shirt to keep me from falling.

The next photo was of Alice and Renee, cooking something floury in the kitchen. Alice was covered in white powder and Renee was pretty close to covered, along with most of the counter and the kitchen window.

Emmett was howling with laughter on the sidelines as Renee and Alice's shocked faces were caught on film.

The next photo was of my two older siblings, decked out in what looked to be camping gear. On top of the photo there was a small, handmade banner that said 'Summer Camp 2000'_._

"_I don't want you to go," I said sadly, looking up at my sister. Alice's hair was cropped short again- a convenience for camp, she'd said- and it made me sad._

"_We'll be back in two weeks," said Alice easily. "You and mom and dad'll have so much fun. I think dad wants to take you fishing with Uncle Billy again."_

"_Really?" asked little-me eagerly. "You think so?"_

"_I know so," said Alice conspiratorially, grinning from ear to ear. "Emmett and I will go to camp and you'll stay here and have fun with mom and dad."_

"_I'll miss you though," said little-me. "You promised to read me that new story."_

_Alice could read stories and I couldn't, and it made me nearly green with envy._

"_You can do a little reading," reasoned Alice. "You try while I'm gone and I'll read it all to you when you get back." Alice leaned down and gave me a kiss on the cheek before she gripped my hand, leading me downstairs._

"_Do you think there'll be any hot chicks at camp, dad?" came the voice of my ten-year old brother. I giggled as Alice stared at him, rolling her eyes._

"_You're gross," she complained. "Everyone at school knows it."_

"_Shut it, pixie," said Emmett angrily. "A guy like me needs some hot women around."_

"_Emmett," scolded Charlie, embarrassed. "Don't be rude."_

"_I'm not rude!" cried Emmett indignantly. "It's true!"_

"_You'll live without some 'hot chicks'," he reasoned._

"_Charles Swan!" cried a shrill voice. "Don't you teach him things like that!"_

_Charlie looked mildly alarmed as he glanced towards the living room._

"_I wasn't teaching him anything, Renee,," said Charlie honestly. "I'm chastising our son for objectifying women."_

"_Emmett Charles," scolded Renee, appearing in the kitchen as well. "You will respect every single young lady there. If I hear that you've been anything less than a gentleman-"_

"_I know, I know!" he cried exasperatedly. "You won't let me date until I've graduated high school."_

"_That's right young man, and don't you forget it."_

"_Like I could," he grumbled under his breath as our mother turned to the cupboard, producing three granola bars._

"_Here," she said gently. "Eat before you get in the car." She handed the two closed packages to Emmett and Alice, unwrapping the last one for her youngest child._

"_Here sweetie," she said. I took it from her, frowning lightly as I nibbled the chocolate chips out of it. I set it aside on the small Fisher Price table I shared with Alice, sitting down on a little chair._

"_Oh, don't be sad, Boo!" cried Emmett eagerly. "I'll come back for you in two weeks."_

"_I know," I said gently, still not having much concept of how long that really was._

"_Fourteen sleeps," said Emmett knowledgably. I felt my eyes stinging with unshed tears as my head snapped up to him._

"_Fourteen?" I confirmed, scared._

_That was an awfully long time… I missed Emmett even when he was out for only two sleeps at his friend, Nathan's house._

"_Aw, don't cry!" he said sadly, tossing his wrapper aside as he took three big steps forward. "We'll be back before you know it."_

"_I don't want you to go," I decided. "You gotta stay here."_

"_I've got to go," corrected Emmett. "Alice and I will be back very, very soon. Maybe you'll even spend some time with Old Batty!" he cried._

"_Emmett!" scolded Renee as I giggled, knowing very well that he was talking about Mrs. Finchley, the elderly neighbour._

"_She _hates _me, mom," he said emphatically. "I know it."_

"_She's been nothing but kind to you," scolded Renee unhappily. "You be nice."_

"_She made me eat sprouts!" he cried indignantly. "She knows I hate those!" Renee just sighed, letting her son continue his rambling._

"_We'll be back before you can even miss us," said Emmett gently, turning to that rare, gentle side my presence brought out in him. Charlie watched with pride, knowing that it was his father's example that had set Emmett on such a gentle path with his baby sister._

_Alice was his playmate- his best friend and equal. I was his baby- his Boo- the young and fragile gift God had given them._

_Alice's Emmett was rough and teasing. My Emmett was soft and gentle._

"_Promise?" I asked sadly, my little voice quivering as I stared at my idol._

_It sometimes scared Charlie that I looked up to my brother so much. Emmett, though loving and honest, was a bit frightening as a role-model for his young, impressionable, insecure little daughter._

_I took too much after Charlie to be anything but fiercely loyal and trusting towards my brother._

"_Pinkie promise," said Emmett enthusiastically, offering me his little finger. I wrapped my own around it and the two of us shook hands vigorously as Alice chatted our mother's ear off about all the wonderful things she planned to do at camp._

"_Love you, Boo," said Emmett gently, leaning in to give me a gruff kiss on the cheek. I flushed a brilliant red before I wrapped my plump, childlike arms around his neck, letting him hold onto me as he stood up straight._

_My feet were high off the ground._

"_There's the bus," said Renee suddenly, glancing out the kitchen window. I felt a pang of worry as I watched my brother and sister collect their camping bags, smiling._

"_Bye Bell," said Alice eagerly. "See you in a few weeks!"_

_And with that, she gave our mother, father and I all a kiss on the cheek and sprinted to the bus like a hurricane._

"_Bye sweetheart!" cried Renee from the door, watching as Emmett gave his dad a hug and his mother a kiss on the cheek before he turned back, smiling._

"_Fourteen sleeps, Boo," he reminded me. "Count them."_

"_Okay," said the sad little voice, sighing softly as my big brother closed their front door and darted off to the big yellow school bus that would take them both away._

I sighed.

_Fourteen sleeps, _I thought. _Yeah right._

More like fourteen thousand sleeps. That had been the last time I'd seen either one of my siblings before they left for summer camp that fateful year. The year our parents had been killed and the year I'd met the Doctor.

A tear escaped my eye as I glanced down at the photo, taken just before the memory in my mind. I saw their smiles, I saw their raw excitement and I was suddenly very, very angry.

Who had taken this away from me? Who had been the one to tear me away from my family in favour of the Doctor?

Why would somebody do that?

"Bell?" asked Alice gently, her voice much older and gentler than in my childhood memory. I glanced up at her with a trembling chin, trying my very hardest not to lose it.

"Oh honey," she said sadly, tossing her book aside as she came closer to me. Before long, I felt her gentle arms wrapping themselves around me, letting me rest my forehead on her shoulder.

"What happened, Alice?" I mourned sadly. "Where'd I go?"

She sniffled as well, sounding quite upset. Emmett watched me sadly with brightened eyes as well as he cleared his throat gently, returning to the photos he was examining. Alice rubbed her hand down my back soothingly as I felt my façade breaking. I felt myself growing more and more upset as I rested there, wondering what else I didn't remember.

There couldn't be reminding photos for everything, and I knew I was missing crucial moments of my own life. Although I'd remembered a lot of things today, there were still a lot of memories locked away in my brain, and I wanted to know why.

Why had someone chosen to take me away? How had that disgusting Doctor gotten a hold of me?

"I don't know, Bella," said Alice finally, answering my questions. "I only know as much as you."

I let out a loud cry at that revelation, wanting Alice to know. Alice knew everything, and the idea of her _not _knowing was frightening.

Who knows what happened to me?

"Oh Bell, don't," she pleaded sadly, tightening her hold. "Please don't cry."

"We went fishing, Alice," I blubbered. "We fished and I made him put it back."

"I know," she said gently. "You never let him keep his fish."

"And then you left," I cried. "You and Emmett went to camp and you'd just cut your hair short again."

She nodded against my shoulder and I glanced up at my brother, who was watching me carefully, looking wary.

"You said fourteen sleeps," I told him, trying my hardest not to be angry with him. He'd been just a little kid, not an adult, and he had no way to control where I'd gone or what had happened there.

"I know," he said lowly. Rosalie's head snapped to him sadly, making me frown as he wiped his cheek carefully.

I'd made him cry, and the idea of that only made me feel worse.

"I'm sorry, Boo," he said earnestly. "I'm so sorry."

I stared at him as Alice sighed sadly, looking over.

"Don't even go there," she warned. "You got over that years ago."

I stared at both of them, confused.

"I know," said Emmett easily. "I know I did."

"Where is it?" she demanded, sounding a little angry. "Carlisle told you to stop that."

"I did," he said.

What were they talking about?

"Did you get rid of it?" she asked sadly. Emmett stayed quiet, making Alice sigh.

"You didn't do anything wrong," she reminded him. "There's no reason to feel guilty."

"I know," he replied again, not sounding convinced.

"What?" I asked finally, my confusion overcoming any worry I might have had about prying too much.

"Nothing," said Emmett quickly, shaking his head. "It's nothing, Boo."

I stared at him, disbelieving.

"She deserves to know," argued Alice. "I'm sure she's not mad at you." Emmett sighed heavily and glanced up at me, getting to his feet. He walked forward and rested himself next to me as Alice let me go, letting him take over.

"It's nothing too bad," said Emmett quickly, seeing my worried face. "Nothing harmful."

"Yes it was," argued Alice. "You tortured yourself with that damn thing for years." Emmett ignored her, simply watching me for a long moment.

"I told you to count the days," he said sadly. "I told you to count to fourteen."

"I know."

"I counted too, Boo," he informed me. "I counted all the way into the six hundreds before Carlisle took my calendar away from me and made me get rid of it."

"Why?" I asked sadly, making him sigh sadly.

"Because I missed you, Boo," he admitted sadly, his voice whispery instead of its usual loud. "I missed you, and I felt bad for lying to you."

"You didn' lie," I argued gently. "You didn't know."

"I know I didn't know, but it still made me feel terrible. I'd never lied to you before," he explained. I stared at him for a long moment before I nodded.

"I still have the calendars upstairs," he admitted, ignoring Alice's deep frown. "They're in my desk drawer under my university papers."

"Oh."

"I couldn't get rid of them," he said sadly. "I didn't want to," he admitted. I remained silent at the idea of my sad big brother counting the many, many sleeps since he'd last seen me.

"Emmett?" I asked pitifully, watching as his eyes shot up to mine once again, questioning.

"Yeah Boo?"

"Where'd I go?" I asked sadly, earning me a small sigh.

"A group home," he reminded me.

"Where?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "Carlisle has your file upstairs."

"My file?" I asked, fearful.

"It's all about when Charlie and Renee died and where you went after that. It'll have the names and location of the people who were running it."

"Oh. I want to know," I admitted, wishing Carlisle was here.

Even if he _did _want me to speak with Doctor Carmen Sanchez.

"I'll go grab Carlisle," he said gently, making me frown.

"Where is he?" I asked warily. "I don't want to talk to Carmen-"

"He'll leave that alone, Bella," said Edward suddenly, speaking up. Emmett watched me with confused, unhappy eyes before he stood up.

"Carmen?" he asked gently. "What's she got to do with anything?"

"Carlisle wants me to talk to her," I said quietly. "He wants me to talk, just like I did in the Counseling Room with the Doctor in Phoenix and-"

"Okay, Bell," he soothed gently. "Don't freak out."

I took a deep breath and he smiled at me, moving towards the stairs.

"I'll ask Carlisle to come down and explain things to you," he said gently. "He'll have more answers than I do."

"Okay," I squeaked sadly, watching as Emmett disappeared up the staircase to the second floor, leaving me alone with the others.

"Bella?"

My head swiveled around to Rosalie, who had spoken. Her blue eyes were trained on me as I observed her in all her beautiful glory, trying not to shrink back.

She was very kind to me, but she could be scary when she wanted to be.

"Are you angry with Emmett?" she asked me quietly, making Alice sigh as she began returning things to her boxes.

"No," I said easily, without much thought. "Why would I be mad at him?"

"Fourteen sleeps," she said sadly.

I frowned.

"I'm not mad," I said quickly. "Just sad about it, I think."

"Good," she said, relieved. "Please don't be angry with him."

"I'm not," I said again. She smiled brightly at me before she sat back against the couch, leaning herself on her younger brother's shoulder. Jasper smiled at me as he wrapped his arm around her, the two sitting comfortably.

"How old are you?" I blurted out, knowing she was older than Jasper was.

"Nineteen," she said softly. "Jasper's only a year younger."

Edward was seventeen, Alice and Jasper were eighteen, Rosalie was nineteen and Emmett was twenty.

"Why's Edward in your class if he's younger?" I asked suddenly, looking at Jasper. Jasper smiled.

"I turned eighteen in February," he informed me. "Edward turned seventeen in January."

"What about Alice?" I asked, turning to her.

"I was eighteen on March sixth," she said proudly, making me nod. "I was two when you were born. Emmett was four."

"Oh."

"We're back, Bell," said Emmett suddenly, returning from his venture upstairs. Trailing behind him was Carlisle, ever calm and collected.

"Good morning, Bella," he said gently, watching me closely for signs of potential panic. My eyes immediately shifted from his face to the thick file in his hands.

_My_ file.

**A/N: There we have it... sort of sad, I know, but necessary. Bella needs to _feel _something about her past besides fear and confusion. She needs to know that not _everything _she'd experienced in her childhood was bad and hurtful.**

**Updates are going to be a little sporadic for a while, since I've just been accepted to two of my three universities (no word from the third yet) so I have a lot of decisions to make and I'll be leaving for a trip to Europe in ten days. I hope to find time to write every once in a while, but I expect my life to be pretty hectic for a while.**

**Don't forget to leave a review!**


	25. Chapter 24

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 24**

BPOV

"Emmett says you have some questions," he said gently, sitting himself down on the sofa next to me. I glanced over at him before I looked pleadingly at Emmett, willing him to sit with me too.

Emmett was safe. Carlisle was not.

"What?" he asked gently, looking horribly confused and a little nervous.

"Sit," I said gently, making him smile. He moved closer to us and gently nudged me forward before he sat behind me, letting me sit right on his lap. I flushed red when he wrapped his arm around me, letting me rest sideways against his front as I faced Carlisle.

Jake, having returned from his venture upstairs, took this as a cue to shove himself right between Carlisle and my feet, not caring who he bumped along the way. I rubbed his side with my toes before his tail thumped happily against the sofa back, letting me know he was enjoying himself.

Carlisle was unfazed by the seating arrangements and waited patiently for me to speak.

"Where'd-"

"Do you-"

We'd spoken at the exact same time, making us both stop quickly.

"You first," I said shyly, making him grin.

"Do you want everyone here for this?" he asked me gently, glancing around the room at the rest of the family, all looking a little bashful.

"Doesn't matter," I mumbled. "I don't care."

Everyone relaxed and I sighed, leaning into my brother again.

"Where'd I go?" I asked quietly, speaking the same words I'd spoken to Emmett not ten minutes ago. Carlisle sighed and opened the thick file, rifling through the stack to find what he wanted.

"How far back do you want me to go?" he asked softly, glancing up at me.

"Um…" I said, trailing off.

How far? As far as he could go.

"Far," I decided, wanting to know my past. I wanted to know where I came from.

"What do you remember?" he asked gently, opening the file folder sitting on his lap.

"I don't know," I said sadly. "I remember the Institute."

"How far into the Institute do you remember?" he asked softly, trying to be delicate.

"I was ten?" I said carefully, not sure exactly whether I was right or wrong.

"Okay," he said gently, letting it go. Six pairs of eyes watched him as he flicked through legal documents to find what he was looking for.

One measly little sheet of paper with small, printed writing covering it.

"Emmett and Alice went to summer camp during their break in 2000," he informed me.

"2000?" I asked, frowning. "What is it now?"

Emmett sighed heavily behind me, holding me a little tighter.

"2010," he said gently. "It's August 2010."

"Oh."

"Emmett and Alice were scheduled for camp from June 30 to July 14, 2000," he continued. "You were staying home with your parents for those two weeks."

"I know," I said gently. He smiled briefly at me, the blue eyes unreadable.

"Your parents were going to a group party held by the police station in Tacoma-"

"Police?" I interrupted, confused.

"Charlie was a cop in Seattle," said Emmett softly. "He was on his way to becoming chief."

I let Carlisle continue.

"You were with your elderly neighbour, Mrs. Finchley, for the night. Your parents called a cab and started to drive home-"

"But there was an accident," I said sadly. "Cars crashed?"

"That's right," he said sadly, grabbing another paper from the file. It was newspaper clipping.

_FATAL CRASH KILLS FIFTEEN ON THE I-5_

I frowned deeply at the picture- crumpled metal, fire trucks, ambulances and police cars all spread out across a large piece of asphalt.

"Charlie and Renee died on impact," said Carlisle gently. "Their driver passed away later on in the hospital."

"Oh," I said shakily, watching the newspaper sadly.

"That happened at about two in the morning," explained Carlisle gently. "Mrs. Finchley was informed at about seven that morning."

"What about Alice and Emmett?" I asked sadly. "They weren't home."

"I know," said Carlisle gently. "You told the police that you had a brother and sister at camp."

Emmett smiled gently and kissed the top of my head as I leaned against him.

"Emmett and Alice were located and collected from camp on July sixth and brought to us on the seventh," he explained gently. "We were contacted on the evening of the sixth and Esme and I agreed to take them in. They came the very next day and have been here ever since."

"Good," I said firmly, not liking the idea of Emmett and Alice being in the Institute with me. No, that would have been very, very bad.

"Your parents passed away on July 3, 2000," he continued. "Mrs. Finchley was informed in the morning, and a social worker came for you that afternoon."

"Like Danielle?" I asked distastefully. Carlisle grinned.

"Like Danielle," he confirmed.

"Oh."

"Your file says that you were held at the social services office in Seattle while they tried to find a place for you," he explained. "Social services is often overwhelmed, and the first place they found was a group home in Tucson, Arizona."

"Near Phoenix?" I asked sadly.

"Very near," said Carlisle softly. "I was particularly displeased when we learned that."

"Why?"

"There was no reason for you to be shipped out of state," he said sadly. "Esme and I are ample evidence of that. We would have taken you in a heartbeat."

I stared at him, shocked and rather saddened.

Carlisle had wanted me even before I'd come back to Washington from Phoenix.

"You were sent to a group home with fourteen other children," he explained. "It was run by three adults named…" he said, trailing off as he flipped through papers once more.

"Heidi, Demitri and…" he stopped talking, making me frown.

"Who?" asked Emmett warily, sounding upset and angry.

"Felix," said Carlisle carefully, glancing at me.

"Felix?" I demanded.

Felix had been at that group home? I'd known Felix before the Doctor?

"It might not be the same Felix," he said quietly. "I'm sure there's more than one-"

"It's him," I said angrily. "He was there."

"You remember?" he asked me, looking both saddened and pitying.

"No," I admitted sadly. "I just know."

"Alright," he said quietly, making me frown as he turned that paper over and read the next one quickly.

"You arrived in that group home on July 5 and you were still there when the social worker checked in on August 7," he said sadly.

"What happened?" I asked confusedly. "Where'd I go?"

"That's where things get murky," he admitted softly. "It would appear that when the group home was shut down on August 20, 2000, you were gone."

"Gone where?" I demanded, angry.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he said gently.

"The Institute?" I asked fearfully. He watched me intently, his blue gaze penetrating and serious.

"I would imagine so, yes," he said softly. "Felix had also disappeared by that point."

"Disappeared?" asked Emmett disgustedly. "You mean he took her and ran."

Carlisle watched my brother for a long moment before he fell silent, sighing.

"Esme and I never told you this, but we really thought she was coming back to us that month," he said gently.

Emmett stared at him.

"When the Arizona officials were made aware of the living conditions in the home and they gathered the list of kids they had there, they contacted us and asked if we'd take her, once they got everything sorted out. We said yes," he said gently.

Emmett shook angrily as he stared at his father.

"You knew?" he demanded. "You knew where she was and you didn't tell us!"

Emmett was shouting now and I cringed lightly, making Jake perk up. He watched my brother intently, his big, brown dog-eyes cautious and unhappy.

Alice sighed sadly and leaned against Jasper's side, letting him hold onto her. Rosalie was staring at Emmett, sad, and Edward looked between all of us.

The green eyes shifted from Emmett to his father and from his father down to me.

"What purpose would it have served?" said Carlisle calmly. "Would it have made you happier to know that the Arizona officials had lost track of your sister?"

"We should have known," said Emmett accusingly. "You should have told us."

"We were going to let you know once we knew for sure if she was coming," said Esme suddenly, standing in the doorway between this room and the kitchen. Emmett's eyes flicked up to her before he sighed angrily, falling into a reluctant silence.

"The group home was shut down on the twentieth of August, but when the authorities arrived, they found only fourteen teenagers and two supervising adults," he said gently. "You and Felix were missing."

I stared at him, terribly unhappy and unsatisfied.

"We don't know what happened after that," he said finally, looking at me sadly. "Esme and I looked for you for a while before the authorities grew weary of us and told us that as soon as they knew anything about you, they'd let us know. We called twice a year until this past May, when we got a phone call from Arizona, telling us that you'd been found."

"I was gone from August to May?" I asked sadly, making Carlisle nod.

"August 2000 to April 2010," he clarified. "They called us on May 9 once they were certain that you really were Bella Swan from Seattle."

"Who's 'they'?" I asked quietly.

"The Arizona social workers," said Carlisle. "You were in the hospital at that point."

"How long was I in the hospital in Phoenix?" I asked quietly.

"April 30 to June 23," he said easily. "You came to us on the 25th."

"Oh," I said quietly, resting my head against my brother's chest. I could hear his steady breathing and the thumping of his heart.

It was soothing.

"Why'd Felix take _me?" _I asked finally, making Carlisle sigh.

"I wish I knew, sweetheart," he said softly. "Only he knows for sure."

"Why not another kid?" I asked angrily. "He _hated _me."

"You were the youngest in that home," said Carlisle gently. "The rest were teens."

"Still," I complained. "I hate Felix."

Emmett's arm wrapped around me, holding tightly as I closed my eyes against him.

Carlisle hadn't even brought up Doctor Carmen Sanchez again.

"What day did I go into the Institute?" I asked finally. Carlisle frowned.

"We don't know exactly," he said gently. "Doctor Dupont's records state that the first time he took notes on you was August 12, 2000."

"Oh."

That sounded about right, then.

"Danielle and Cole have only given me the bare minimum about your time in Phoenix, so I can't be sure exactly which day you went in. I'm sure the workers know."

"They should tell you," I grumbled. "I want to know."

I wanted to know everything- I wanted to know why Felix had chosen me, where I'd gone, how I'd gotten there and how long I'd been there. I wanted to know what the Doctor had done to me in my early years and why he'd done it.

I wanted to know everything about my life- every last, little thing.

I _needed _to know.

I'd find it all out- I'd do my research. I'd use that computer Esme and Carlisle had gotten for me before I even got here and I'd type in all the letters to find that Doctor. I'd search him and use the internet to spy on him.

I'd email Danielle and demand to know what she knew. I'd find the Doctor's passwords and break into his notes.

I'd find Felix, the group-home, Heidi and Demitri. I'd find what they looked like. I'd find what they did and I'd find out why they hurt me.

I wanted to know.

"Why'd the group home get closed down?" I asked assertively, beyond upset.

I was mad- downright, undeniably _mad._

"Heidi and Demitri were involved in a drug bust," he explained. "The two of them used the drug money to support the kids they had with them."

I nodded curtly, frowning as I glanced down at Jake. His intense gaze was fixed on me, looking wary and nervous. I rubbed his side with my toes, making him relax as he rested his head on Carlisle's lap, groaning and grumbling happily.

"Do you want to take this?" asked Carlisle gently, offering the newly-closed file to me. I nodded eagerly and snatched it up when he offered it to me, feeling the weight in my hands.

"Make sure you give it back to me when you're done," he advised. "I have digital copies of the documents on my computer, but I'm rather fond of the hard copies."

"I'll be careful," I promised. There was no way I'd lose these important papers- not if they were the ones that told me where I'd been and why I'd been there. These papers knew me better than I did.

"Where will you keep it?" he asked gently, making me shrug.

"The desk," I decided, remembering the desk up in my bedroom.

"Good choice," praised Carlisle gently. "Let me know if something doesn't make sense in there, and I'll try to decipher it. There are a lot of forms and legal papers."

"Okay," I said quietly.

I'd probably need his help to make sense of the tiny-printed forms with his signature on them

It was the Doctor's notes that I wanted… I would _not _panic when I read them this time and I'd be strong. I'd read them all and let myself be angry with him for hurting me.

I was allowed to be mad.

"Is that everything?" asked Carlisle gently. "Do you have any more questions."

I shook my head stiffly, sitting straight as a board on my brother's lap. Emmett was watching me carefully as Carlisle gave me a gentle smile and stood up, moving Jake's furry head aside carefully.

"I'll be up in my study if you need me," he said gently. "Have a good day, Bella."

I nodded again, watching as he disappeared. My family was shockingly quiet as I slid off of my brother, clutching the offending folder in my hands.

I'd never let it go- not ever.

"What are you going to do with that?" asked Emmett gently, breaking the silence in the room. Jake whined and I ignored him.

"Learn," I said ominously.

"Be careful, Boo," he advised.

I nodded sadly and wrapped my free hand around him in a brief hug. Quickly, I jumped off of his lap and landed lightly on my feet, heavy folder in hand.

Jake jumped up as well.

"Thanks for showing me things," I said softly as Alice watched me intently, right before I darted towards the stairs without another word.

I had some learning to do.

**This will be the last update for at least two weeks... I leave for Europe first thing tomorrow morning (Paris, Versailles, Milan, Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Rome) and I'll be gone for ten days... after that, I'll need to edit the next chapter, catch up on homework and overcome my jet lag. I hope everyone has a fun and safe March break!**

**PS: It's kinda cool that if you live in any of the regions mentioned above, we might unknowingly cross each other this week! :)**


	26. Chapter 25

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 25**

**A/N: I'm back! What a great trip to Europe... there was so much to see! I finally got back home last Sunday, but I was incredibly jetlagged and sick (I caught some sort of bug in Florence, when we were out all day in pouring rain). I was going to update a few days ago, but I wanted to take the time to get chapter 26 written before I posted 25 (I don't like posting the last chapter I have written... I like having some done in advance). And THEN, was having problems... I could sign in to my account, but when I clicked on the name of my story (to post a new chapter), I got an error screen.**

**Anyways, enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to review!**

EmPOV

You'd think that after weeks and weeks of acclimation time, Bella would be used to us. You'd think that after letting us into her innermost thoughts and feelings that she'd feel well enough to let us in. You'd think that after so long with us that Bella would have learned to trust.

But I'd seen her face when she held her file in her hands- I'd seen the sneaky determination as it slid onto her face. I'd seen how she'd changed and evolved in that short second after the weight of the paper made its presence known.

I knew she didn't trust me enough to let me in. I knew what she was doing, and I hated it. I absolutely hated it.

I didn't like being shut out.

"Dude, again?" asked Jasper in an irritated voice, glancing at the television once more. The virtual army we were trying to take down was advancing quickly, my side of the screen stained red as Jasper's avatar fought for his virtual life.

"Sorry," I said gruffly, making him sigh as his soldier went down as well, the entire screen bleeding red.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

We never lost.

"Nothing," I lied easily, making him frown in disbelief.

"My sister will be back later," he said carefully. "She just went out with Alice-"

"I know where Rose is," I said curtly. "I know she's shopping."

"What's up, then?" he asked again. "You never let yourself get shot this early on unless you've got something on your mind."

I cursed Jasper's intuition.

"Nothing," I insisted.

"Is it Bella?" he asked bluntly, making me frown as I turned to him.

"Who said anything about Boo?" I demanded defensively. "She's upstairs."

"Researching," said Jasper simply.

He knew too much about me, and it irked me.

"Bella's fine," I said easily. "She's good."

"Why are you all moody then?" he asked pointedly. "You're never moody unless someone's really pissed you off, Rose won't talk to you or something's up with Bella."

"Nothing," I growled again, tossing my controller aside.

"Alright," he said, finally letting it go.

I'd never tell Jasper about my fears for Bella- I'd never tell him how anxious it made me when she shut us all out.

"She has a right to be alone," said Jasper suddenly, making me stare.

How did he know that shit?

"She's probably emotional right now," he explained, "and she has a right to know what they did to her."

"I don't care," I grumbled angrily. "I don't want to be left out of the loop."

It sounded petulant, even to my ears.

"We're all being left out of the loop," he said gently. "She didn't even want Alice up there with her."

"She's fragile," I argued. "She _needs _someone with her-"

"Give her a chance, Emmett," said Jasper disappointedly. "She's not as delicate as you'd think."

"The kid can barely _read, _Jasper," I said tartly. "Of course she needs-"

"Let Bella decide what she needs."

I glared at him.

"Well, what the fuck did you ask for if you don't like my answer?" I demanded. He watched me with his damn speculative eyes for a long moment before he spoke.

"Someone had to ask," he said gently. "You're not happy."

"My problems with my sister don't concern you," I said angrily.

He didn't even bristle.

"No," he agreed, "but both her wellbeing and yours do."

"No they don't," I said easily, glaring at the screen instead of Jasper's calm face.

"They do," he argued. "You're my family, I love you both, and I care about what happens to you. You both deserve to be happy, and you being a moody bitch is the opposite of being happy."

Ahh, there he was. I knew the old Jasper was in there somewhere.

"Moody bitch, eh?" I asked teasingly.

He didn't answer me.

"I'm fine, Jasper," I said again. "I just wish she'd let me know what she's found."

He nodded gently, returning to the game console on the floor. I watched as he stood up, taking our controllers with him before he pressed the power button with his foot and set the equipment aside.

We'd lost twice in a row, which was two times too many for our books.

"Why don't you go ask her what she's found?" asked Jasper gently. "She's shy, and you can't expect her to come running just yet."

I wished Bella _would _come running when she needed me.

"Yeah," I agreed gently.

I'd go right now. Bella had spent four whole days in her room since she'd gotten her file, only coming out for breakfast and dinner. Esme respected her wishes for the time being, so long as she ate a few meals per day and called down to check in regularly.

"Boo?" I called out as I hit the third floor landing. Eddie-boy's door was open for all to see- always neat and tidy- while Bella's was closed, concealing whatever it was she was doing in there.

"Bell?" I called again, knocking softly on the dark wood of the door. I waited for a long moment as I heard her frantic movements, obviously rearranging her papers and most likely, herself.

"Yeah?" she called hoarsely, making me frown.

"Can you open this?" I asked gently, praying she'd agree.

"No." The blunt answer wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"Why not?"

"Because," she said, her voice taking on hysterical undertones. "I'm not done!"

"Not done what, Bell?" I asked exasperatedly. "You've been searching for four days!"

"I'm not done!" she cried again, her voice breaking this time. I tried the knob, only to find it locked tight.

"Please, Boo?" I asked sadly. "I miss you."

She kept quiet.

"Come on, Bell," I coaxed. "Just for a bit."

"No." I sighed and let my head thud against the wood of the door.

"Please?" I persisted.

"No!" she cried, angry. I took a step back and sighed heavily, turning back around.

"Bye Bella," I said grumpily, trying my very hardest not to get angry with her.

Jasper was right- Bella had a right to be alone when she wanted to be. I moved back downstairs by myself, moving into the kitchen where Esme was.

"Can I help?" I asked as I watched her cutting up vegetables. She gasped sharply and turned around to me,

startled, but smiling.

"You scared me," she laughed. "Of course you can."

She handed me a knife and cutting board and instructed me to roughly chop her carrots into chunks.

"She's still up there?" guessed Esme sadly, watching me with her wise and knowing mom-eyes.

"Yeah," I grunted. "She won't let me in."

"Give her time, Emmett," she said gently. "She'll come around when she's ready."

I wanted Bella to be ready _now, _not whenever she felt like being ready.

"I know," I admitted softly, chopping the second peeled carrot from the pile. "I know she'll come down eventually."

"It's a lot for her to take in," said Esme gently. "At least Jake's up there with her."

I felt a surge of jealousy towards the furry bastard that my sister preferred to me.

I violently chopped a bit of carrot and sent it flying across the granite countertop, landing right in Esme's bowl of potatoes.

"Sorry," I grunted, reaching in and snatching it out before returning it to its rightful place.

Right in front of me, with the rest of the carrots I'd cut up.

ooOoo

"Dinner's ready!" called Esme gently, peeking her head out of the kitchen. Rosalie and Alice had returned not ten minutes ago, dad was upstairs changing out of his scrubs and I was brooding- sitting on the loveseat, taking up both cushions all to myself. I glared at the wooden floor as her voice echoed throughout the room, making my sister and my girl look up from their places on the floor, smiling.

I knew mom had made stew tonight, most likely to snap me out of my bad mood, and I vowed to try my hardest to be cordial tonight.

"Smells good, dear," said dad, coming down the stairs as he buttoned the top two buttons on his shirt, smiling.

I scowled to myself, dragging my feet all the way to the kitchen. I sat in my usual spot and watched as my family took their seats as well.

Bella's chair remained conspicuously empty.

"I'll send her plate up later," said Esme gently as she passed behind me, kissing my cheek gently. "Don't worry about her."

I nodded curtly, scooping out some stew into my own bowl as Alice passed me a slice of fresh bread.

"Thanks." Alice simply nodded her response and glanced at our father, who, as always, was scrutinizing his

family closely.

"Did everyone have a good day today?" he asked gently, making me smile despite my foul temper.

Carlisle had made it a habit of his to ask us all about our collective day at the dinner table ever since we'd first arrived in his home. It had given us all a chance for openness and honesty, which was sorely needed with four sour, bitter children without biological parents.

Only Edward had ever remained stoic and good at the dinner table those first few months with us.

"Fine," said Esme airily, looking at me pointedly.

I feigned ignorance, glancing into my bowl of stew instead.

"Emmett?" she prompted, knowing very well I wasn't a very happy man today.

"I'm fine," I said grudgingly, stuffing my mouth full of food to avoid conversation.

Avoidance was one of my best qualities.

"Emmett," she scolded gently. "Please don't." I sighed, putting my spoon back down.

"What's going on?" asked dad quietly, concerned.

"Nothing bad," I said. "I just worry about Bell, that's all." Carlisle nodded understandingly as Alice watched me closely.

"She's fine, I'm sure," she said softly. "Just frustrated."

"And how would you know?" I demanded, feeling the ire rising.

I knew what she was about to say, and it made me mad.

"I saw her earlier," she said, shrugging. "She's looking up stuff on her computer."

"Yeah, I know," I spat harshly, pushing my chair out. Esme watched me worriedly as I left my place at the table and left the kitchen entirely, refusing to finish my dinner. As I moved towards the staircase, I felt something I hadn't felt in a very, very long time.

I wanted to fucking cry.

Angrily, I forced my tears to abate as I stomped up the steps, slamming my bedroom door behind me like a petulant toddler. I flicked the lock as well, ensuring my privacy as I tossed myself on my sofa, covering my face with my arm. I knew the feeling stirring in my belly very well.

I was jealous.

Bella had shut me out- I'd barely seen her in days and she continuously shut me out. She wouldn't let me in with her and she wouldn't come out to talk with me. She locked herself up in her bedroom and ignored the real world as she delved further and further into that hell she'd called life for ten years. She ignored me- the big brother who was supposed to protect her- in favour of the demon that featured most prominently in her nightmares.

She'd let Alice in and kept me out, and I wanted to know why.

Why wouldn't Bella let me see her? Why wouldn't she talk to me? Why was she ignoring me?

Why, why, why?

I hated that fucking dog… he slept on her bed, he kissed her, he comforted her, he protected her, he loved her and most importantly, _she _loved _him._

If she hadn't been so fond of him, I just might have killed him.

ooOoo

Day six, and Bella was still caged up there in her bedroom. It had been nearly a week since Carlisle handed my sister her personal file filled with the limited amount of information on her bleak existence in Arizona.

Even Carlisle was getting a little concerned.

"Bella, come on," said Alice, her voice slightly hysterical as our little sister remained barricaded in her bedroom.

She'd wedged the door shut tight, no doubt with one of the chairs from her vanity.

"I'm not done," she repeated for the fourth time, her voice muffled by the wood of the door. Esme stood off on the staircase, her forehead creased with worry.

"Bella, open this door," said Carlisle firmly, rapping his knuckles smartly against the wood.

She ignored him, and I sighed heavily.

"Boo, come on," I coaxed. "It's been six days and I miss you."

She hadn't eaten today either, which was what prompted Carlisle's appearance on the third floor.

"You don't have to come out yet, just grab something to eat," he said authoritatively. "I don't want you to get sick."

"I'm not hungry."

I let out a loud noise- one quite similar to a growl. I saw Alice glance at me worriedly before she sighed and rested her forehead against the wall.

"Esme," said Carlisle, defeated as he let his wife through. Though he should have been angry- furious, even- he simply remained worried and concerned for her welfare.

"Bella, sweetie," said Esme softly, speaking as close to the door as she could. "I don't want to have to ask

Carlisle to break the door," she warned.

A loud thump came from inside the room and I bristled angrily.

"I'll come out soon," she promised. "I'm almost done with this one paper-"

"Open it now, Boo," I ordered angrily. "Enough of this shit."

"Emmett," hissed Alice angrily. "Don't yell at her."

I glared at my sister as the noises from Bella's room ceased.

"Boo?" I asked.

"I'm almost done!" she shouted shrilly. I retreated slightly, resting my back against the far wall. Alice

frowned sadly and sighed resignedly, defeated.

"I'll see you later, Bella," she said softly. "I love you."

"Love you too," was the muffled reply. With the assurance of Bella's love, Alice descended the staircase and returned to the main floor, no doubt to spill the story to Rosalie, Jasper and Edward.

The three of them had been banished to the main floor while this problem was sorted out.

"Bella, I'm coming back in half an hour to bring some food, and if you don't open the door then, I'll have to break it down," said Carlisle.

There was a small scuffle from inside the bedroom as Carlisle turned away, moving towards his wife on the stairs.

"Come on, Esme," he said gently. "We'll give her thirty minutes to finish up whatever she's doing." Esme nodded sadly and followed Carlisle down the stairs, shooting me a gentle, motherly smile.

Now only Bella and I were left on the top level of the house, and I sat down against the far wall, facing the door. I'd wait until Bella took the barricade away from her door and opened it up for me. I'd wait forever if I had to.

There was dead silence as the minutes ticked by, each second bringing us closer and closer to Carlisle's

thirty minute mark.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Eleven minutes.

Thirteen minutes.

Fourteen minutes-

There was a muffled scrape on Bella's door as she removed the chair from its place and her lock clicked, letting me know that only the wood of the door stood between us now.

Fifteen minutes.

Sixteen minutes.

"Bell?" I asked gently, standing up as I approached the door. Gently, I pressed my ear to the wood, straining to hear the sounds coming from inside.

"Boo?"

Nothing.

"Bella?"

Silence.

"Bella!" I called louder.

Nada.

I grabbed the doorknob in my hand and twisted it carefully, letting the door swing open as I peeked inside.

I stared wide-eyed at the scene before me.

The papers from Bella's file were strewn about the floor, all in seemingly messy, but organized piles of information. I saw newly printed sheets of paper from the internet on the floor as well, with a thick wad of lined paper covered in the rough, chicken-scratch writing I knew belonged to my sister. I saw names, dates, codes, numbers, letters and what I thought was login information for an online account.

Those papers all became meaningless as I glanced up at the desk, where my sister was sitting.

"Bella," I said, saddened and upset as I took in the sight. Bella's new laptop computer was alive and glowing, the screen bright with information as my sister lay hunched over the desk, her head buried in her arms and her pen held loosely in hand.

She was bawling.

"Bella," I said again, rushing forward and nudging her door closed with my foot. It shut with a sharp click as I darted forward, crouching at her side and gently taking her face in my hands.

Her face was red and blotchy from her tears and her red-rimmed eyes were encapsulated by dark, almost purple circles. Her big brown eyes were frantic as the tears poured from them, making my heart ache as I

took her in.

"What's the matter, Boo?" I asked gently, bringing my arms around her shoulders and hugging her close. I felt her warmth as she grabbed my neck, pressing her face to my shoulder.

"Bella, come on," I said, worrying as she sobbed.

"Are you hurt at all?" I asked worriedly, unable to pull her back to look her over. She just shook her head and continued to cry.

"Come here, Boo," I said gently, pulling her down from the desk chair. She fell down gracelessly and landed on the floor with a bang, causing the dog's head to snap up in her direction.

He whined nervously, but remained in his place as I shushed him.

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing gentle circles on her back.

"I hate him," she choked out. "I _hate_ him…"

She trailed off in tears again.

"I know you do," I said softly, knowing already who she was talking about. No one, besides possibly Bella, wanted James Dupont dead more than I did.

"I hope they kill him," she snarled weakly. "I hope he dies." I felt my own emotion rearing its head as my

sister came into her realization, finally reaching her epiphany.

She'd transitioned from scared to sad to angry, and I didn't blame her one bit.

"I know you do," I said gruffly.

"He hurt me, and I hate him!" she shouted tearfully, her hysterical tone ensuing as I patted her hair gently.

"I know."

"God, I hate him…" she mourned, grabbing onto the back of my shirt as her body slid further down mine, leaving her arms wrapped around my waist instead of my neck. I felt her pressing herself against me, hard, and I simply held on.

"I love you, Boo," I said softly. "I've always loved you."

She cried harder, and I berated myself for letting my emotions take control my words.

"Relax," I said gently. She shook her head defiantly, making me sigh.

"I hate him!" she shrieked hysterically, her voice no doubt carrying down to the lower floors. I sighed as she pointed up at her computer screen, her crying growing louder.

"Read it," she gasped. "You read what he wrote!"

I gently let my sister go and grabbed the laptop quickly, setting it down beside me. I resumed my hugging

position as I glanced down at the brightly lit screen, reading the text.

_Tuesday, August 15, 2000  
__3:40 pm, Phoenix, Arizona  
__Arizona Institute for Experimental Research  
__Patient 33_

_Name: Swan, Isabella Marie  
__DOB: 09-13-93 (6)  
__Height: 3'6"  
__Weight: 17.36 kg  
__Ward: 3  
__Orderly: F. Franconelli, V. Hart  
__Status (1-10): 9  
__Samples: N/A_

_Patient was brought in at 14:50 on 08/14/00 by Franconelli from a group home in Tucson, AZ. Patient appears to be in good health, within normal height and weight range for her age. Patient, upon arrival, appeared reserved and quiet, did not interact with fellow patients. Franconelli set the patient up in ward 3 and Victoria helped the patient bathe. No abrasions, cuts, lesions or rashes noted. The patient's appetite was voracious upon arrival and she adapted well to the customary diet. No allergies to be noted as of yet._

_To date:-No allergies, no abrasions, no rashes, no chronic disease or illness, no acute illness, no fever, no signs of physical/sexual abuse.-Signs of emotional neglect._

_DOCTOR'S NOTES:I look forward to investigating the effects of the developing antipsychotic medications on a pediatric patient. Isabella seems like the perfect candidate for my studies. Felix did well in finding a child without biological family to intervene, and one who will just be deemed as one of the many mistakes Child Protective Services has made__._

_J. Dupont_

_Doctor of Psychiatry_

"What did I do, Emmett?" she groaned. "What did I do!" Her voice rose an octave as she muffled her cries with my chest.

"Oh Boo," I said, astonished that she even managed to gain access to that psycho's apparently private records.

"Why'd he pick me?" she croaked out, her tears falling quickly. I felt her fists clenched around the back of my shirt as she pressed herself closer to me, desperate for some form of comfort in her time of trial.

"I don't know, Boo," I said softly. "He's sick."

"He made _me _sick," she countered. "He chose me, and now my heart's sick."

I caught the double entendre in her words and felt my sadness rear up once more. I forced back any tears of my own, deciding my efforts were better spent on comforting my clearly distraught, exhausted baby Boo.

"I know," I whispered gently, letting her emotion run itself out. She shook lightly after her tears stopped and her breathing turned to jagged hiccups instead. The two of us sat on the floor of her bedroom under the watchful eye of Jake the dog, who was observing the chaos from his post on her bed. Bella's hands never eased up as I kept a firm hold on her, letting her close her eyes and calm herself down.

"You're tired," I accused gently, making Bella sniffle loudly as she shrugged, neither confirming nor denying my accusation. Her body was tense in my arms, but I could tell she was worn out.

I didn't even notice Carlisle and Esme at the door until Carlisle stepped inside.

"Goodness, Bella," said Carlisle, awed by the vast array of papers and information scattered around the floor. Bella's eyes snapped open as she eyed him carefully, looking half afraid of what he might say in response to her mess.

Carlisle's focus shifted easily from the mess of papers to Bella's obvious stress. His forehead creased in worry as he knelt down beside us, reaching over to take her wrist.

"Let him see," I ordered softly, letting Carlisle take her pulse.

"You need to calm down," he decreed. "Have you been sleeping?"

Bella's eyes shifted downwards for a moment before she glanced at me, looking for a way out.

"Oh honey, you need to sleep," said Esme sadly, taking a few steps inside as well. "You need your rest."

Bella kept quiet, simply letting out another hiccup.

"I needed to know…" she said quietly. "I needed to know what happened to me."

Esme's eyes glistened sadly and she took a deep breath, watching the three of us closely.

"Come with me," said Carlisle gently, offering Bella his hand. Despite their earlier altercation involving

Carmen and her psychiatry, Bella took his hand in her own, letting him help her up.

She kept a firm hold on me as well, and I had no problems tagging along with her.

"We'll get you a nice warm shower, some food, an Ativan and then a bed," he decreed. Jake trailed after us, oddly subdued and quiet as Carlisle led us down the stairs and towards is study. Esme came in a moment later, the papers from Bella's file held firmly in her hands. She gently manoeuvred herself around her husband and deposited the thick folder in the drawer, where I knew Carlisle kept all our personal records.

Every social worker's update, every school report card and every adoption certificate were encased in that drawer.

"Let's find some food for you," suggested Carlisle gently. Esme smiled and moved towards the door, no doubt to fetch a bowl of soup from dinner last night.

Bella hadn't eaten since yesterday, and it pained me to know that she wasn't taking proper care of herself.

"Emmett, take her to your bathroom and let her shower. Those papers need to be cleaned up before she goes back in her room," said Carlisle softly. Those papers would only cause my sister more undue stress, which was the very last beyond what Bella could currently handle.

"Come on, Boo," I said softly. She took my hand in her little one and I led her down the hallway, right through my disorderly bedroom and into my bathroom. It was very clearly a man's washroom, not all purple, pink, fluffy and makeup-y like Alice and Rosalie's washrooms, but it got the job done.

"There's a new bar of soap under the sink, washcloths, towels, shampoo," I said, pointing to the various cupboards. "I'll go up to your room and grab you some conditioner and pyjamas."

"Thanks Emmett," she said sadly, folding her arms around her middle as I left her in my washroom. As I stepped out, I heard the shower start up as Bella stepped inside. When I returned to her bedroom, I found her clothes and hair product easily enough, deciding to bring her toothbrush and hairbrush along as well. She could stay with me for the night, until we got her room sorted out.

I made sure she was covered by the shower curtain before I returned to the bathroom, not wanting to perv on my baby sister while she was showering. She thanked me softly for her conditioner and other bathroom necessities and I stepped out easily, waiting for her on my sofa.

She took a lot longer than I would have to clean off, but a lot less time than Rosie or Alice. When she came out, she was running her hairbrush through the matted tangles in her hair, looking tired and frail.

"Bring it here," I said easily, taking the hairbrush away as soon as I could reach it. She simply turned and sat on the floor in front of me as I dragged the brush through the ends, all the way up to the roots, just like Rosalie had taught me years ago. I'd never been more thankful for my unwanted lessons in Rose's "beauty school" from our younger days.

She'd taught me a lot about how hair worked, and even though I sucked at it, Jasper and Edward sucked a lot worse than I did.

Bella's hair, finally drip- and tangle-free, made me smile.

"Done, Boo," I said gently, watching as she pried her eyes open to watch me.

"Thanks," she slurred softly. I gently helped her to her feet and let her sit next to me on the sofa as Esme knocked gently, bringing the soup with her.

"Here you go, dear," she said. "It's still a little hot, so please be careful."

Bella, handing the soup bowl to me, hugged my mother tightly, letting Esme kiss her cheek.

"I love you, sweetheart," she said gently. My sister blushed beautifully and nodded against Esme's shoulder, making Esme grin.

"Love you too," she mumbled.

It made me very happy to see this interaction between Bella and Esme- Bella, more than anyone of us, needed a mother's love.

"Eat your dinner," instructed Esme softly, pointing Bella towards the bowl in my hands. I handed it to her careful, watching to make sure she'd manage without a table, and was pleased to see her slurping soup hungrily and without hindrance. Esme stepped out of the room gently and left us alone together as Bella worked her way to the bottom of the bowl.

"Good?" I asked gently. She nodded, not daring to speak as she shovelled the food into her mouth.

She'd been hungry, and I felt even worse than I did before. When she was done, I gently took the china bowl out of her hands and rested it on the small end table as Bella stood up wordlessly and brushed her teeth. She left the bathroom door open and I couldn't help but watch as she scrubbed and polished each tooth with meticulous, careful precision, finishing off by wiping down my entire counter.

_I _never even wiped down my counter, but if it made Bella happy, I'd let her do it.

"Come over here," I said gently. Her hair, now drying and not half as wet as it was, was curling into gentle ringlets around her shoulders, just like it had when she was little. As Bella came over I pulled her towards my bed, turning down the covers and letting us both slide down beneath them.

Only then did I notice that the dog had snuck in with us and had been sitting quietly by the door until he'd followed Bella up into my bed.

My temper rose dramatically as he rested himself on _my _bed, but as soon as Bella patted his head in her

special, affectionate way, I let it go.

Whatever made her happy.

"Go to sleep," I ordered softly, watching as Boo scooted her way closer to me, curling into a loose ball on my sheets.

Her eyes drifted shut, and she was asleep in mere seconds, followed closely by Jake, who snored loudly.

_Damn dog._

**A/N: Please let me know what you think!**

**PS: I found out how to fix the bug on this site that prohibits uploading... when you get the error message, look up at your address bar. It'll have a big long URL something like:**

**_.net/story/story_edit_ property ?storyid..._**

**All you've got to do is remove the "property" and replace it with "content". The new URL should look like:**

**_.net/story/story_edit_ content ?storyid..._**

**I hope this helps anyone with uploading problems! :)**


	27. Chapter 26

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 26**

**A/N: Enjoy the 26th chapter! Someone asked (I'm not sure who, but I accidentally deleted the review notification from my emails, and I don't have time to sift through the reviews again to find it) how many chapters this story's going to be. As most of you know, I have the entire outline completed for this story and if all goes as planned, there should be 54 chapters in total, including the epilogue (53 without).**

**Enjoy Esme!**

EsPOV

Carlisle sat across from me, his face downcast and unhappy as he ran his hand through his hair, causing it to stand on end. I watched him from my seat, worry evident in my face as he took a deep breath and collected himself.

"She needs to sleep," he repeated, glancing up at me with his own tired eyes. I nodded gently, knowing very well that Bella couldn't force herself to stay awake for hours on end like she had this past week.

"She's trying," I said gently. "She slept in Emmett's bed for a few hours."

"Hardly a nap," said Carlisle angrily. "She knows better…"

"Don't be angry with her," I admonished gently, knowing very well that a well-rested, collected Carlisle wouldn't dare be mad at Bella.

"I'm not _angry,_" he argued, "just upset."

"Don't let her know that," I retorted. "She's just starting to trust."

"I'm not mad, Esme," he said curtly. "I just think she should be more careful about her health!"

I stared at him as his eyes flashed and his voice rose, forcing back my own feelings of anger.

How dare he raise his voice with me?

"She's just a child," I snapped. "Sixteen is hardly grown, and you know better than anyone else why she's been acting the way she has."

"She needs to learn sometime, Esme!" he cried. "She needs to grow up!"

"Don't you even go there," I snarled angrily, standing from my seat. "Don't you even _suggest _that she's not trying-"

"I know she's _trying, _Esme, but she's not being prudent about-"

"Stop that right now!" I shouted, making his eyes snap up as he took in my anger. "You stop with this doctor nonsense and go back to being a father. That girl has been dragged to hell and back and you've got to stop being so hard on her."

He stared at me, looking torn.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, breaking the tense silence between us. "I just don't like her avoiding sleep after we specifically were told _not _to do that."

"It's not her fault," I said gently, glad we both seemed to be calming down. Finding Bella so worked up had been the breaking point for the both of us, and with Carlisle's recent bout of night shifts at work, we were both low on sleep.

"I know it's not," said Carlisle finally. "I never said it was. She just doesn't understand how precarious her health is right now."

I remained silent, waiting for elaboration.

"Her arrhythmia's not something we can fool around with," he said, his voice quieting to stop any potential eavesdropping children from hearing us. "People die from the repercussions of it every day."

I stared at him, torn between icy fear for Bella's wellbeing and blazing anger at Carlisle's secrecy.

"What do you mean, people die?" I demanded. "How sick is she?"

"Shh," he admonished quickly, making me lower my voice. "Don't yell-"

"How sick is she?" I snarled in a whisper, making him frown.

"We don't know," he said exasperatedly. "Eleazar's waiting for an opening in radiology for the echo and a chest x-ray-"

"I don't care about those," I snapped. "I want to know if that girl's going to die!"

"She's fine for now," said Carlisle tentatively, "but she needs to take care of herself. She has a heart rhythm abnormality and stress can aggravate it."

"How?"

"Stress makes the heart beat faster," he said simply. "If the rhythm's already inconstant, a change in speed can throw the rhythm entirely."

"What then?" I whispered, feeling my face heating up with the force of my anger.

"That depends," he said gently. "She might just feel nothing at all, she could get lightheaded, she could pass out, she could go into v-fib-"

"Into what?" I asked, frowning.

"Ventricular fibrillation," he said gently. "The heart muscle quivers like a bag of worms instead of pumping, and blood can't get where it's needed…"

I shook my head sadly, taking a deep breath.

"Defibrillators are used when a patient is in v-fib," he said. "It jolts the heart back into a regular rhythm."

I sighed heavily, feeling very tired indeed as I sunk back down into my chair. Carlisle watched me gently, his face downcast and unhappy.

"I didn't want to worry you," he said softly, making me frown.

"I want you to worry me," I replied gently. "I want to know what's going on with our children." He simply nodded, glancing down at the tabletop once more.

"That's why she needs to sleep," he said softly. "Her body needs all the recuperation it can get, and she doesn't need the stress of staying awake."

"I know," I said, finally being able to say that I _did _know. I finally had some understanding as to what was really going on with Bella's health.

"We'll do everything in our power to-"

"Dad."

Carlisle and I both glanced over towards the entrance to the dining room, spotting our oldest child, breathless and rather flustered. Carlisle watched Emmett expectantly as he came flying inside, obviously having sprinted down here from the third floor.

We'd been so absorbed in our conversation that we hadn't even heard him coming.

"What is it?" asked Carlisle gently, seeing the papers clenched in Emmett's hand.

"You've really got to talk to Boo," he said quickly, his words jumbled together and frantic.

"What about?" asked Carlisle seriously, looking both dreading and curious all at once.

Was she feeling badly?

"She knows things," said Emmett ominously. "She knows _a lot."_

"What about, Emmett?" asked Carlisle, a hint of impatience in his voice now.

"Everything!" he cried exasperatedly. "She knows almost everything about that damn doctor."

"What exactly does she know?" asked Carlisle confusedly. Emmett shrugged cryptically and fell silent, thrusting his hand towards his father.

"What's this?" asked Carlisle, taking the papers gently from Emmett's hands. His eyes scanned them over before they widened.

"Where did you get this?" he demanded.

"Bella had it," said Emmett sadly. "She has a whole archive of them on her computer."

"What?" I asked confusedly. Carlisle sighed and passed the papers over to me, letting me glance them over. Each paper was dated in the top right-hand corner, and I frowned deeply.

August 20, 2000

August 21, 2000

September 2, 2000

September 5, 2000

September 17, 2000

The signature at the bottom made me gasp as I sifted through, understanding and enlightenment shining bright in my mind.

These were James Dupont's personal files.

"Where in heaven's name did she find these?" I asked, bewildered. Carlisle and I both looked at Emmett expectantly.

"I have no idea," he said honestly. "I was picking shit- I mean _stuff-_ up off of her floor while she rested and I found them. She has a bunch of other shit too," he added, falling back into his foul-mouthed ways.

"Like what?" asked Carlisle, standing up from his place at the table.

"All sorts," said Emmett. "Documents, photos, AVI and MP4 file names, codes, login information, email addresses…" he said, trailing off.

What else was Bella hiding?

"Where is she?" asked Carlisle gently.

"In my room," said Emmett. "She was watching one of those house hunting shows."

"I'll go up," he said gently, making me nod.

"I'm coming," I said, leaving no room for argument. Emmett followed the both of us up the steps as we moved ever closer to Emmett's second floor bedroom. Carlisle knocked swiftly and swung the door open, revealing a startled, wide-eyed Bella resting under the covers of Emmett's bed with Jake right next to her.

"Hello sweetheart," I said quickly. Emmett disappeared once more to the third floor, no doubt to grab the laptop computer for Carlisle's inspection.

"Hi," she squeaked, glancing warily at Carlisle as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

I knew what was passing through Bella's head, since the last time the two of us confronted her it was about counselling.

"Hello honey," said Carlisle affectionately, making me smile. There were no traces of his previous frustration in his eyes now as he spoke to her.

"Emmett showed us some of the papers from your room," he said quickly, cutting right to the chase. Bella blushed lightly and looked down at the bedspread, picking at a piece of thread.

"Are you mad?" she asked idly, glancing up at me.

"Why would I be mad?" I asked softly, confused. She simply shrugged mysteriously and fell silent again, picking at the thread.

"Did you read them?" she asked quietly.

"I skimmed," I admitted.

"Good," she decided. "You shouldn't read them." The papers, having been abandoned on the bed beside my husband, were snatched up quickly by Bella, who stuffed them under the covers and out of sight.

I frowned sadly, not wanting her to feel threatened.

"I have to ask, Bella," began Carlisle, making her tense up. "Where did you find those? Did you have them with you when you came to us?"

"No," she said gently, speaking only in one word answers.

"Where did they come from, then?" he asked. She shrugged, avoiding the questions.

"I was just looking," she said quickly, her voice almost inaudible.

"Where were you looking?"

"Places," she said vaguely. "I wanted to learn, so I did."

"I know you did, sweetheart," said Carlisle, sighing heavily. "Where did you find those papers?"

"On the computer," she whispered. "I printed them."

"Where on the computer?" asked Carlisle, gently prying away at her defences. Carlisle was slowly but surely getting to the root of the issue.

"On the internet," she blurted, making Carlisle frown.

"The internet?" he asked. "Which website?"

Bella shrugged noncommittally, turning her attention to Jake instead. She scratched his ears with loving attention, earning her a low, deep groan of pleasure.

"Bella," said Carlisle crossly, making the timid girl look up with wary, tearful eyes.

"Are you mad?" she repeated quickly, looking ready to bolt.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm not angry with you."

She relaxed visibly, sitting back on her pillows, and Carlisle smiled, knowing she trusted his word.

"I need to know which website you found those documents on," he reminded her. "It's very important."

"You'll tell Danielle," she accused softly, making Carlisle sigh.

"They need to know," he said reluctantly. "They're not the bad guys here, Bella."

"Then who is?" she challenged. "Danielle tried to-"

"I know you don't like her," he said, "and neither do I, but she works for the agency responsible for the incarceration of someone who hurt you."

"What?" she asked, confused. Carlisle smiled to himself and shook his head, no doubt reminding himself that Bella's comprehension skills still weren't up to par.

"Danielle is the lady who's going to help put Doctor Dupont in jail," he said softly. "She's the one who'll make sure he can't hurt anyone else."

Bella's eyes teared, but she didn't actually cry as she watched Carlisle for a long moment.

"I don't know what the website's name is," she admitted.

"How'd you type it in, then?" challenged Carlisle.

"I knew the letters," she said, shrugging. "He'd always type it in when I was in his office, so when I found the internet button on that laptop, I pushed the same letters."

"Which letters?" he asked. Bella responded almost instantly, reciting like a little machine.

"H-T-T-P-dot-dot-line-line-W-W-W-dot-F-I-L-E-S-A-N-Y-W-H-E-R-E-dot-C-O-M," she said. Carlisle stared at her, mildly impressed by her memory, before beginning to decipher the words she'd spelled.

"Files anywhere?" he asked sceptically. "He was using a online document holding system?"

"I guess so," said Bella, obviously not understanding the tech-speak Carlisle had just employed.

"He called himself a different name, too," said Bella quietly. "On that website, he called himself _Jim_ and his special word was _C-A-R-R-O-T-C-A-K-E."_

"You mean his password?" asked Carlisle softly.

"Yeah!" said Bella enthusiastically. "His _password."_ She spoke the new word with reverence.

"What's that for?" she asked gently, watching Carlisle intently.

"It's a special code you need to get into the account," said Carlisle softly. "It's supposed to be secret so no one else can see what you've put there."

"What's his word spell?"

"Carrot cake," said Carlisle simply, shrugging. "It's something unrelated to him, so it would be hard for someone to guess."

"He's a bad secret keeper," said Bella finally, sighing heavily as Emmett came back inside, Bella's papers and laptop in hand.

"Here," he said, handing the computer to his father. Bella sat up eagerly as Carlisle opened the laptop and opened the internet browser, typing in the website Bella had given him. He typed in the username and password as well, gaining access almost instantly.

There were files on dozens of people, all of whom had been imprisoned with little Bella in his hospital.

"There's Betty," she said, pointing towards one Roberta White, "and Gino."

_Roberta White_

_Giovanni Gallo_

_Henry Price_

_Ashley Harper_

_Isabella Swan _

Carlisle sifted through the names carefully, looking grimly pleased with this new development.

"Which pages did you print off?" he asked gently.

"Mine," said Bella, pointing to her name. "I printed off ten of the days and just looked at the rest."

She looked sad again, and Emmett wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders to keep her safe. Carlisle didn't even bother clicking on Bella's name but simply closed the laptop quietly, sighing softly.

"Are you alright?" he asked her softly, making her frown and look up.

"Yes…" she said hesitantly, her voice suspicious and unhappy.

"You've been through quite a lot this week," he explained. "You've barely slept."

"I know," said Bella grudgingly, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand.

She looked so very young…

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"Yeah, a bit," she admitted. "I don't want to go to sleep."

"Why not?" asked Carlisle worriedly, his face tense.

"Because I dream about him," she said, "and I'm getting really sick of looking at him."

Her voice was venomous and sharp as she spoke, making me frown in sympathy.

"I know, sweetheart," I said, "but you need your rest."

She didn't reply, but simply looked up at me unhappily.

"I'm sure Jake would stay with you," I reasoned. "He likes to sleep with you."

"I know that," said Bella grumpily. "Jake can't keep thoughts away, though."

I watched as she sunk back down on the pillows and turned her attention to the watchful dog.

"Right Jakey?" she cooed gently. "You only keep real monsters away."

Emmett sighed angrily and rested his hand on Bella's shoulder. I watched him struggle to force down his hate for the dog while Bella cuddled him instead of her brother.

"He's tired too," she whispered sadly, letting one tear fall down onto Emmett's pillow before she staunched them, wiping it away violently with the back of her hand. "I've been keeping him up at night."

"I know, honey," I whispered softly, wanting nothing more than for Bella to be happy and at ease with her life.

It was too much to ask of her just now… she had more right than anyone to be miserable and cranky if she wanted to be.

"No you don't," she said bluntly. "You sleep just fine."

I fell silent, no longer knowing what to say to her.

"You need to rest," said Carlisle authoritatively. "I can give you something, if you think it'll help-"

"No!" she cried, fearful. "No medicines please-"

"It was just a suggestion," said Carlisle softly. "Not a demand."

"I don't want to take medicine," she said shakily, her eyes wide and her body tense.

"What about a supplement?" asked Carlisle softly. "I have some melatonin tea in my study that'll help."

"Some what?" she asked, exasperated with his complicated words.

"Some tea with melatonin in it," he explained. "Melatonin is the chemical made by the brain when you're ready to sleep. It also promotes heart health."

She stared at him dubiously for a long moment before she sighed and shrugged.

"I guess so," she said softly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes once more. "If you think it'll help."

Carlisle beamed at her, looking incredibly proud.

"I do," he said. "It'll help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, but it's much less potent than any sleep-aiding drug I could give you."

She nodded, looking defeated.

"It's peppermint tea," he warned suddenly, making her grimace as she sighed resignedly.

"I _hate _peppermint tea," she grumbled.

"I'll go brew some up," said Carlisle, amused as he took in her disgusted face. Emmett was hiding a smile as well, knowing how much his sister hated anything to do with mine and Edward's favourite flavour of tea.

"Thanks," she said grudgingly, just as Carlisle left the room. I caught his smile as he shut the door softly behind him. I stole his spot on the bed almost instantly, resting my hand on the exhausted girl's hair. She slid back down on the pillows and watched me with wide eyes as I sighed, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"We love you," I said gently. "You know that, right?"

She nodded bashfully and sighed, glancing at Emmett.

"I love you guys too," she said honestly. "I'm glad I came here."

Emmett's face lit up.

"So am I, Boo," he said gently, reaching over to engulf her in a hug. I almost pitied the girl as Emmett snatched her up, smothering her in one of his infamous bear hugs to display his love and happiness.

"Great," she said, muffled. "Can you put me back, now?"

He barked out a loud laugh and set her back down on his pillows, patting her hair.

"I'm glad you're back." She simply smiled wryly at him and for the first time since her arrival, I could see a brief glint of mischief in her eyes that very closely resembled her brother's.

It was a welcome change.

"You drink your tea," said Emmett gently, "and then I'll put a movie on."

"Okay," she agreed easily, too tired to argue with him. "I'm tired."

"I know you are," said Emmett softly. "I'll sit with you while you nap."

"Promise?" she asked gently, her voice soft and quiet again.

"Pinkie promise," he said teasingly, offering her his baby finger.

It warmed my heart to watch this gentle interaction between them. It was very rare that I saw Emmett so tender with one of his siblings.

Bella wrapped her little finger around her brothers and the two shared a brief handshake before Bella leaned forward and hugged him, resting comfortably on his front.

"G'night," she teased gently, closing her eyes and feigning sleep. Emmett chuckled and ruffled her hair, earning him a scowl as she smoothed it back down.

"Alice'll kill you," she warned.

"Yeah, she'd get real far," drawled Emmett sarcastically. "It'll be like a mouse trying to play Godzilla."

"What's a Godzilla?" asked Bella innocently, glancing up to stare at her brother. Emmett gave her a curious glance before he shook his head.

"You'll just have to see after you drink your tea," he bargained, making her nod her agreement.

"Bella?" asked Carlisle's voice from the doorway, making all three heads turn. He stood with the door cracked open, a china teacup in his hands. He made his way into the room with the steaming cup of tea, setting it down on a china saucer on Emmett's end table.

"Drink this and get some rest," he advised softly, making her smile as she nodded gently and rested against her pillows. Emmett took this time to worm his way between Bella and the dog, effectively removing Jake from his post.

Jake grumbled, but laid down on the floor next to Bella instead. Bella paid the dog no attention as she smiled up at her brother, taking a slow, hesitant sip of her drink. She grimaced before she set it back down, resigned.

"Thanks Carlisle," she said quietly, making my husband smile.

"You're quite welcome, Bella," he replied easily. "We'll let you sleep."

"Okay," she agreed easily, watching Carlisle with curious eyes as he turned and left the room. I stayed a moment longer, watching my two kids as they rested.

"I'll see you later, alright?" I asked softly.

"Yeah," said Bella and Emmett together, making them both smile and look down at the other. "Jinx!"

I laughed gently as the word flew from both mouths, inciting a fit of giggles from Bella.

"Bye Esme," she said finally, getting a hold of herself as I moved towards the door.

"Have a good sleep," I said gently, taking one last look at the two of them as Emmett stood up to set up the Godzilla movie.

As I closed the door with a gentle click, I took great solace in the smile on my face.

**A/N: I hope you liked hearing from Esme... I love Esme.**

**Please leave me some reviews! The last few chapters haven't gotten as much feedback as I'd have liked... :(**


	28. Chapter 27

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 27**

**A/N: I don't usually update this quickly, but I have a message for all my interested readers-**

**If you head on over to my profile, I've posted a link to a family tree I created using the Paint program... it shows all sorts of relationships between our characters. The blurb on my profile has all the information you'll need!**

**Enjoy!**

BPOV

My room was a mess… a huge, disorganized, unpleasant mess.

And Esme wasn't even mad.

"Come on, Bell," said Alice gently, surveying the scene before us. "I'll help, and it'll go by really fast."

"Okay," I said resignedly, glancing around at the piles of paper, basket of laundry and mess of food wrappers from my long imprisonment that ended yesterday.

I still didn't understand how Esme wasn't vexed with my lack of cleanliness… everything else in her house was so neat and tidy that it made me very embarrassed to be the odd one out.

"Where do you want things?" asked Alice gently. "There's a lot of stuff to put away…"

"Wherever," I said dejectedly, staring around at the many pages that were already making me angry. I'd spent yesterday and last night with Emmett and Edward in Emmett's room, and by doing so I'd foregone any need to see these papers.

Now, they were right in front of my nose and they were making me angry again… I hated them.

"Do you want to keep these?" she asked gently, reaching down and picking up one of the papers. She glanced sadly at it before I shrugged, frowning miserably.

"Carlisle wants me to," I said quietly. Carlisle thought that the Doctor might have a way of knowing that I'd hacked into his account, and if he knew I'd hacked, he'd know someone had seen his papers, and if he had computer access in jail, he might try and delete all the files.

And Danielle wouldn't want those files deleted.

"Alright," said Alice easily, glancing down at the piles. "We'll get them all in piles, and I'll go ask Rose for some paperclips."

"Okay," I said, feeling a little happy at the idea of some talking with Rosalie. Rosalie was a very quiet girl, but when I did talk to her, I enjoyed it.

Alice slid down to the wooden floor, crossing her legs as she swooped her hand over the papers, dragging them all closer to her. She gestured for me to do the same, letting me sit across from her with those nasty papers in between us.

"This one?" she asked, holding up a paper with the Doctor's notes on it.

I shrugged.

"You've got to pick a place, Bell," she said gently. "What's this from?"

"It's his notes," I replied fearfully. "It's what he wrote about me when he poked me and fed me pills."

Alice stared at me sadly for a long moment before she put the paper back down on top of its pile, watching me. She leaned forward, displacing a bunch of papers and hugged me tightly, letting the feathery tips of her hair tickle my cheek.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she said earnestly. I frowned in confusion.

"For what?" I asked gently, patting her back awkwardly. She chuckled humourlessly and pulled away, watching me intently.

"For being insensitive about the papers," she clarified. "You don't have to organize them if you don't want to… I'm sure Carlisle would."

"No," I said quickly, shaking my head. "I made the mess and they're not his papers…"

"If you're sure, Bell," she said gently. I nodded quickly and Alice sighed.

"Can I go grab Rose to see if she'll help us?" she asked. "It'll go much faster with three."

"Sure." Alice smiled at me once more and stood up, kissing my cheek as she went before she left the room and loped down the stairs.

It was only Jake and I now, and I gently called him over. Jake, ever vigilant, was at my side in minutes, sitting heavily on a stack of papers.

I giggled at him as he nestled in, causing the stack he was sitting on to topple over. Jake jumped up quickly, glancing back at his wiggly seat before he sat back down on the now much smaller pile.

"You're sweet," I cooed easily. "Nice puppy."

He kissed my nose and I smiled, nuzzling my face into the ruff of fur at his neck as I embraced him. He smelled distinctly like Jake- the "I'm a dog and I need a bath" smell he always had on him- and although it stunk, I'd grown to love it.

"Stinky," I teased, earning me another lick to the cheek. I grimaced and wiped the slobber off, just as his tongue darted out again.

"Stop!" I squealed, squirming as the massive dog hovered over me, licking and drooling. "Gross!"

He stopped, perking up as I squealed.

"Good dog," I praised as he sat back, obedient and ready to listen.

"You're a good boy," I praised, enjoying the effect I was having on him. Each time I spoke to the beast in the gentle baby-voice he loved, his ears smoothed back and his tail thumped a steady rhythm on the floor. He nudged my hand with the tip of his cold nose, demanding a pat as I waited patiently for Alice to return, with or without the quiet, pretty Rosalie.

"Rosalie's coming," I told Jake, making his head tilt to the side. Jake knew the names of the family members he lived with, my name and Alice's being the most prominent.

"Alice?" I asked, teasing him. His head swivelled quickly to face the door and I grinned, blushing a little at the idea of fooling him.

He was so adorably stupid sometimes.

"Bella?" I asked, making him whine and whip his entire body around to face the door as he watched, waiting for me to come in.

"I'm right here, dummy," I teased. He licked my cheek impatiently before his attention returned to the door, watching and waiting.

I laughed outright and he turned back around, growing excited again.

"Relax," I said softly, wrapping my arms around his strong neck. "I'm just teasing."

His tail thumped again, and I smiled.

"Love you, puppy," I said.

_Thump, thump, thump._

"Nice boy."

_Thump, kiss._

"Jakey…" I cooed loudly, dragging the word out.

_Whine, kiss, thump, thump, whine kiss, thump._

_Thump, thump, thump._

"Nice puppy."

_Snort, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss…_

"Jake!" I squealed, pushing him away.

_Thump, thump, thump-_

"Bell?"

Both Jake and I swivelled around to face the door and Alice, who was standing, amused, in the doorway with Rosalie by her side.

"What are you doing?" she asked, smiling widely.

"Bugging Jake," I said with a shrug. Jake, at the sound of his name, returned his attention (and his tongue) to me.

"Jake!" I cried, shoving him back as he lunged again, determined to lick my face. I held him off, laughing giddily as he sat back on the papers, sending another stack flying.

"He made more of a mess than you did," complained Alice, seeing the newly destroyed stacks of paper scattered on the floor.

"He's my favourite," I said in a sweet voice, kissing the dog's nose before I turned to greet Rosalie.

"Hi Rosalie," I said quietly, glancing up at the tall blonde.

"Hi Bella," she said easily, lowing herself to the floor next to me. I gently ushered Jake out of the way so I could talk to her properly, only to have Jake groan and resist.

"Move," I scolded. "Get out of the way."

He moved slowly, his tail hanging low as he did, finding his new place on my right hand side, outside the circle of girls.

"Let's start," said Rosalie, glancing at my sister. Alice sat down as well and grabbed a stack of papers Jake had toppled, flipping through them carefully.

I grew angry again, though not at my sister.

I hated those papers, and I suddenly wished that instead of sitting on them, Jake had returned to his former horrid behaviour and eaten them.

Then Carlisle get the papers, unless he wanted to look in the backyard next week.

Rosalie was sifting through papers like a machine, stacking, filing and organizing like a professional. I tried to sneak a peek at how she was deciding which papers went where, but by the time I'd gotten time to look, the papers were already out of sight.

"I'm organizing them by subject and year," said Rose gently, catching me at my sneaking. "Those were all of his notes you printed from 2000, and if we come across any more, we'll add them to the pile. We can organize within the piles later."

"Oh," I said, once again, confused. Rosalie smiled sympathetically at me as Alice continued with Rose's system, looking deep in concentration.

"You can start picking up other things, if you want," she suggested. "That way you don't have to read these again."

Rosalie was very perceptive, I decided, and she knew how much I hated those papers.

"Thanks," I said, relieved as I leaned forward and gave her a small hug. She was Emmett's girlfriend, after all, not to mention Alice's honorary sister.

She was definitely something to me.

She looked a little shocked at my initiated contact, but returned the hug warmly.

"Let's get this done," she said, "and then you won't have to look at these again."

"Okay," I said, standing from my place in the circle and moving to the outside, letting Rosalie and Alice continue with the dreaded paperwork.

I was glad to have such nice, caring sisters.

ooOoo

My room was clean… impeccably, undeniably, unsettlingly clean.

And Esme was very, very glad. She just loved seeing the neat piles on my desk, my bed made, my floor swept and the curtains open.

I was almost positive I hated it… I hated it even more than the disorganized, messy beast of a room it had been just two hours previously. I hated it even more than I did before Rosalie and Alice decided to help me out, and before the Doctor's papers had been given a real place amongst my things.

I hated those papers and as I stood next to the bed, staring at them, I had a strong urge to tear them into little pieces and mash them in between the floorboards. I wanted to burn them, massacre them, kill them.

I wanted them gone, and having them on my desk was the worst form of teasing. It was as if the Doctor was right there, taunting and poking me. Just like he was watching me, observing my every move, documenting every single moment of my mundane, horrible existence. It was as if he was here now, his old routine invading my new room with my new family and my new freedom.

I wanted him gone, and yet here he was.

I wanted to cry.

"Bella?"

I sniffed loudly and wheeled around, seeing my open door for the first time in ten minutes-

Had it really been that long…?

"Are you alright?" asked Edward, watching me with his concerned green eyes from his post at the door.

"I'm fine," I said grudgingly, sighing as he came inside. The door closed with a soft _click,_ and I watched as he approached me.

"It's clean," he noted, glancing around at the newly exposed floor and neatly made bed.

"Yeah, it's clean," I said dryly. I saw his eyebrows twitch together in a brief frown before he smoothed it over, looking awkward.

"What were you doing?" he asked hesitantly, glancing to the desk where I'd been staring.

"Nothing."

"Didn't look like nothing," he accused gently, making me turn defensively.

"What does it matter what I was doing?" I challenged. Edward looked taken aback for a moment before he collected himself with his reply.

"Because it does," he replied indignantly. "We're friends, aren't we?"

I glared icily at him for butting his head into my business, but was unable to come up with a suitable response.

Yeah, we were friends.

"And I know something's bugging you," he added, looking grimly triumphant at stripping me of my words.

"I'm fine," I repeated stonily. "Nothing's wrong."

"Alright Bella," he said disbelievingly, sounding incredibly disappointed.

"What does it matter?" I asked exasperatedly. "I don't like those papers, that's all."

"Which papers?" he asked softly.

"Those papers!" I cried incredulously. "The ones _he _wrote!"

"They let you know about your past, didn't they?" he asked, shrugging.

"And I hate it," I repeated, my voice taking on an embarrassingly breathy tone as tears threatened to spill. "I hate everything about those papers."

"They're about _you,"_ said Edward softly, looking terribly saddened.

"I hate them," I repeated.

I hated _everything _about those papers, including stupid, naïve, awkward little Bella.

Edward watched me sadly, not speaking for a long moment.

"You're a good person, Bella," he informed me.

I snorted dubiously, turning to face him.

"Yeah, I'm great," I snarled sarcastically. "I'm so _amazing-"_

"Don't," he said quickly. "Don't do that-"

"What exactly am I doing?" I demanded, taking my anger out on him. "You tell me right now what you think I'm doing, since you're so _smart…"_

"I think you're being self-depreciative," he said easily. "I don't think you're treating yourself very fairly."

I glared at him, my body taking on a rigid, defensive pose.

_Depreciative?_

"Whatever," I said childishly. "Go away."

"No."

I stared at him, incensed.

"Excuse me?" I demanded. "This is _my _room."

"I don't care," he said easily.

"I do!" I shouted. "Get out!"

"No."

"I'll…" I started, trailing off in rage when I couldn't find a suitable threat to toss his way.

"You'll what?" he asked gently. "Scream?"

"Maybe," I offered.

"Come on, Bella," said Edward tartly.

"Leave me alone."

"No," he said. "Friends don't let friends wallow."

"I want to wallow," I said thickly. "I want to wallow and scream and cry and-"

"Well, you won't," he said simply. "I won't allow it." I let out a strangled sound between a growl and a laugh, turning on him once more.

How dare he dictate me?

"Get out," I said again, watching as he held his place.

"No."

"Right now!" I ordered. "Get out of my room and leave me alone."

"Bella, come on-" he said gently, reaching his hand out. In one swift move, I slipped away from him, moving another meter to the left.

"Go," I said again, my voice cracking.

"No," he said again, his voice much gentler and kinder than before. "Come here."

I refused to move and refused to look up at him.

Edward solved the perceived problem himself by closing the distance between us on his own, leaving him right behind me. I felt his hand slide up my arm in a comforting gesture, effectively cracking whatever hard façade I'd managed to put on.

"Bella…" he said sadly as two fat tears fell over, sliding thickly down my cheeks. I turned to look up at him, remorse flowing through me for yelling and treating him badly.

"Don't cry," he soothed gently. "Please don't cry."

I cried.

"Come here," he whispered gently, pulling me with him to my bed. We both sat down on the edge as I rested my head in my hands, not wanting to lose it in front of Edward.

I failed.

My shoulders shook and my breathing hitched as I let out my feelings, for the first time in what felt like forever. This wasn't a panic-induced cry or a fearful cry, but a sad, angry cry that was desperately needed. I was angry at Felix for taking Emmett and Alice away from me. I was angry with the Doctor for and keeping me away from the people who should have been my family. I was angry with the Doctor for hurting my heart and I was angry with Charlie and Renee for not having a plan.

How I wished my parents had had a plan for me… how I wished they'd have thought ahead and given Emmett, Alice and I a home to live in.

Edward's arm snaked around my shoulders as the weight of my burdens finally showed itself, and I leaned into him, relishing the friendly, sympathetic human contact. This sort of contact- a kind, gentle, caring contact- was still new enough for me to revel in its novelty.

"I'm sorry I was mean," I mourned softly, letting him pat my back gently. "I'm sorry I was rude."

"It's fine," he said gently. "You needed to let it out."

I just cried, letting him manoeuvre us so that both arms were around me, and I was using him as my own personal crying post.

"I hate him so much," I gasped. "I've never hated like this before."

"You have a right to hate him," said Edward softly. "That man committed unspeakable crimes against you."

"I know," I said. "I know he hurt me and he kept me away and he wanted me dead-"

"He what?" asked Edward sadly. "Oh Bella…"

"He never said it but I just knew," I rambled tearfully. "He _hated _me."

"He's disgusting."

"I don't like hating," I admitted. "It hurts."

"I know it does," he said softly.

"Have you ever hated?" I asked. "Like really, really hated?"

"Once," he admitted softly. "When I was just a kid."

"Who?"

"Edward Masen," he told me. "My drunkard of a father."

"I hate hating," I stated.

"I know."

"Make me stop hating," I begged. "Make it stop."

"I can't," he said tensely. "God, Bella, you have no idea how much I want to help you."

I cried again, earning me a gentle back pat.

"I really wish you'd reconsider Carlisle's offer," he said softly.

I glanced up, red eyed and confused.

"Which offer?"

"Carmen," he said gently, making me tense. "She'd help you in ways none of us can."

"I don't want Carmen," I spoke. "I want to stop hating."

"She'd help you stop hating," said Edward, "or she'd at least help you learn to deal with hating."

"She won't make the Doctor go away," I said firmly. "No one can make him leave."

"Leave where?" asked Edward apprehensively.

"My head," I mourned, trying my hardest to staunch my tears. "Every time I sleep, he's right there bugging me and I can't _think-"_

"Carmen knows how to help," he said. "Please, Bella, go talk to her."

"She's a Doctor," I said fearfully. "She can't help."

"Carmen's great," said Edward softly. "She's best friends with mom."

"So?"

"Esme would never have friends who were anything less than amazing… it takes someone truly good to worm their way into my mother's heart."

I remained silent, ruminating over the words he'd spoken.

"I will promise you, one hundred percent, that Carmen would never do anything to intentionally hurt you or break your trust," he said firmly. "She'd die before betraying her patients."

I felt my resolve cracking, all thanks to this special, gentle boy holding me while I cried.

"Please?" he asked again, making me falter as I looked up.

His green eyes were smouldering and bright, filled with concern and care all at once, and I knew then that I couldn't refuse him.

"Okay."

He smiled brightly at me, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head.

"That's great, Bella," he said honestly. "That's amazing."

"Yeah," I said, sniffling sadly as I held onto him.

He was a constant in my life- something I craved and sorely needed.

"Are you sure?" he asked nervously, the sudden shift in his mood throwing me.

"Yeah," I said, knowing very well that I couldn't deny him now that he was so happy about my choice.

He thought Carmen would never try to hurt me, and I _knew _I'd never try to hurt him.

"Are you okay now?" he asked me gently, pulling away to survey the damage. I nodded quickly and sat up, wiping my eyes on the back of my hands as I pulled myself together.

"Sorry," I said, seeing the wet spot on the front of his shirt.

"Don't worry about it," he said dismissively. The two of us sat together in a pleasant silence for a long moment before Edward spoke again.

"We should tell mom and dad," he said easily. "They'll be very proud of you."

I snorted again before he shot me an angry glance and I backtracked.

"Seeing a doctor isn't something to be proud of," I countered gently.

"Sure it is," he said easily. "It proves a lot about you."

"Like what?"

"Like your strength," he said gently. "It takes a strong person to admit they need help, and an even stronger person to seek it out."

I blushed and shrugged, refusing to voice my opposing opinion.

"Let's go," I said, wanting to get this telling business over and done with.

"Alright," he agreed, offering me his hand to stand. I took it gratefully, not feeling entirely steady on my feet just yet as he brought the two of us towards the door, letting us pass.

Jake was waiting right outside, and he followed us right down the steps to the kitchen, where Carlisle and Esme were seated in silence.

"Good afternoon," said Esme gently, turning to face us. "How's your day been- oh Bella! What's the matter?" she cried, rushing forward at the sight of my red-rimmed eyes.

"Nothing's the matter," I said, growing frustrated with the question.

"You've been crying," she accused gently. "Are you hurt?"

"No, Esme, I'm fine," I promised. "Just frustrated."

She sighed sympathetically, running her hand down the back of my hair to smooth it down.

"What's going on?" asked Carlisle finally, speaking up from his place at the table.

"Bella's made a decision," said Edward, looking at me expectantly. I turned to him quickly, turning red as I sighed and faced both Carlisle and Esme suddenly feeling very nervous.

"Um…" I began, not knowing exactly how to start.

"What is it, sweetheart?" asked Esme, looking very concerned.

"I…" I began again, looking at Carlisle as well. He looked attentive and concerned as well and I frowned, looking at the floor.

"What have you decided, honey?" she prompted again, making me frown.

"I… I've decided to go to… I…" I sighed heavily, feeling the tears returning as I glanced up at my saving grace.

Edward.

He was watching me expectantly too, looking slightly pained.

"Edward…" I said, feeling panic returning. Carlisle saw and immediately stood up, looking very concerned.

"Sit down," he said gently, pulling a chair over to me. I felt the seat of the chair against the back of my knees and I lowered myself into it, deciding it best not to argue about it. Carlisle's hand gently came down and rested on my forehead, testing my temperature before he sighed, resting it on the back of the chair.

"What's going on?" he asked finally, looking at his son for answers instead. Edward smiled down at me, albeit a little tense, and began to speak.

"Bella's decided to visit Carmen," he said gently. Esme smiled broadly and looked down at me while Carlisle grinned knowingly, resting his hands on my shoulders.

"You've made a good decision," he said softly, leaning down. "I'm very proud of you."

And with those words, I felt him press a brief kiss to the side of my head, almost like a real father would.

I blushed bright red, but thankfully it was blocked by Esme's firm embrace.

"That's excellent, sweetheart," said Esme easily. "I'm glad."

"I know," I said, my voice muffled by her front.

"Carmen will help you," she said. "It'll be a beneficial experience for you."

"Yeah."

"Good," she said. "Great…"

She was happily flustered, and I forced back a grin.

"I'll call Carmen as soon as possible to set up an appointment time," said Carlisle gently. "It'll most likely be sometime next week."

"Okay," I agreed gently, trying in my mind to force back any residual panic at the idea of another Doctor trying to pick at my brain.

"Good for you, honey," said Carlisle.

_Yeah, good for me._

**A/N: Once again, leave me a review (for the early chapter!) and head over to my profile to take a look at the family tree.**

**Since I just updated my profile and just uploaded this chapter, the link might not be visible just yet... if you can't see it, try:**

**.net/~moonchild707**

**That should work.**


	29. Chapter 28

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 28**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! (even though I updated earlier this week, it's still Saturday and therefore, update day)**

**Enjoy, and please read the note at the end!**

BPOV

"Are you nervous, Bella?"

"A little," I lied easily, glancing to my left to survey Esme's expression. She still had a soft smile on her face as she watched me, nodding.

I was a lot of nervous.

"I understand," she said softly. "I'm sure you'll love Carmen."

"I hope so," I said dubiously, not wanting to hate Esme's friend outright.

I didn't want to be rude.

"You will," she said again. "Carmen is exceptional at what she does."

"I'm sure she is," I placated, earning me a wry grin.

Esme had told me that she sort of liked the new "sassiness" coming out in me… she said it reminded her a lot of Alice. _I_ didn't think I was being sassy, but if Esme liked it, I'd keep it up.

Esme and I had gotten off to an excellent start this morning, even if I _was _on my way to a head doctor. Esme wanted nothing more than for me to see Carmen and learn not to be scared of simple things anymore. She wanted me to be able to sit calmly when Emmett was angry, or when some strange, light-haired boy talked to me on the street.

She wanted me to sleep through the night without the dog, to be at ease during family dinners, to learn to socialize so I could go to school and most of all, to be happy.

Esme thought I was very unhappy in her home, and I knew it bothered her greatly.

It wasn't her fault.

"Where is this office?" I asked, watching the passing buildings of Port Angeles as they passed by.

"Not too far from here," said Esme, stopping at a red light. "Just a few blocks up."

"Oh."

I grew more nervous with every inch the car drove, knowing we were getting closer and closer to this new Doctor.

A girl Doctor.

"Here we are," said Esme softly, pulling into a parking space beside a grey brick building with a sign out front.

_Port Angeles Mental Health and Wellness, Dr. Carmen Sanchez, MD_

I shivered as Esme unlocked the car doors, stepping out into the wet air as easily as ever.

I almost envied her.

"Come on, sweetheart," she coaxed. I saw the worry pass over her face as she contemplated my sudden hesitation- maybe in her mind, I wouldn't get out of the car. Maybe she thought she'd have to coax me out. Maybe she wondered if shed'd have to bring Carmen Sanchez, MD out here to get me…

I stepped out of the car, and her smile widened.

"Good," she praised. "Come on."

I felt her gently slide her hand into mine, the warmth and gentleness calming my nerves somewhat. Esme led me right to the sliding glass doors of this place, leading me into the room with beige-coloured walls, sofas, armchairs and paintings of sunflowers on the walls.

It was much different than the Institute I was used to, and I felt myself shying into Esme's side as we approached a desk, where a lady with a computer and a headset was sitting.

"Good afternoon," she greeted in a chipper voice. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes, for Isabella Swan," said Esme kindly. "She's supposed to see Carmen at 1:30."

"Of course," said the lady, clacking away on her keyboard. "Doctor Sanchez is just finishing up with her 1:00 and she'll be out to get you when she'd finished."

I paled as Esme thanked the desk lady and led me to the sofa in the far corner, away from the other people in the waiting room.

There was a suspicious-looking boy in the corner, watching the television with barely lucid, glassy eyes.

What was that Doctor finishing up in her office? What was she doing with this "one-o-clock"? Was she going to hurt them?

What was she going to do once she was "out to get me"?

I shivered, grasping Esme's hand in an unpleasantly tight grip, wondering suddenly why I'd agreed to come here. Why had I agreed to subject myself to another doctor, even though I_ knew _what they did?

"Are you alright?" asked Esme gently. I glanced up and saw her looking at me in her caring way, just itching to hug.

"I guess so," I lied shakily, feeling my palms sweating. Esme, though she looked troubled and sad, let it go, settling for holding onto my tightly-clenched hand.

"Isabella?"

Both mine and Esme's head shot up at the sound of my name, our eyes meeting the face of my new Doctor.

She looked _nothing _like the Doctor I was used to…

"Carmen," said Esme fondly, glancing up at her old friend. Esme let go of my hand and left me sitting on the chair as she embraced the Doctor lady, each of them kissing the other's cheek.

"How've you been, Es?" asked the Doctor, watching Esme with her excited brown eyes.

"Good," admitted Esme. "Things have been a little tense, but good."

I flushed bright red, knowing that the aforementioned tension was a direct result of my presence.

"Good," said the Doctor easily. "Great."

They hugged again.

"I meant to come down and see you a few weeks ago, but with everything going on…"

"You're always welcome," said Esme crossly. "You know that." Doctor Sanchez sighed, her mood not dampened in the slightest as she glanced over Esme's shoulder at me.

"Hello Isabella," said the Doctor lady.

"Hi."

"Well, why don't we get started?" she asked gently. "Let's let Esme grab a coffee and we'll go talk in one of the rooms."

I hesitated, looking up at Esme.

"Go ahead," she encouraged. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Okay," I said, suddenly fearful of Esme leaving me alone with this woman.

"Come on," said Carmen, waving me towards the ominous hallway behind her. Esme waved me off and stayed in her spot until we turned a corner, ending up out of Esme's sight and in a new hallway.

"We'll try this room," said Doctor Sanchez softly, opening a thick wooden door. The inside of the room was a soft blue colour with two armchairs and a sofa arranged in a circular pattern.

"Have a seat," said the Doctor lady kindly, offering me first pick. I stopped, watching her suspiciously for signs of stun guns or needles.

"You first," I said lowly. Without hesitation she took a seat on the far end of the sofa, letting me choose the armchair furthest away from her.

"Well, you already know my name," she mused, "so I suppose that's a moot conversation point."

I stared at her.

"You can call me Carmen," she announced easily. "What do you prefer?"

I shrugged, still watching.

"Is Isabella fine?" she prompted.

"No."

"What would you like to be called, then?" she asked softly, leaning forward interestedly.

"Bella," I blurted, using the name my family used.

Did I really want Carmen to know that name?

"Alright then, Bella," she began, smiling gently. "Usually the first session is when I get to know you."

"Know what?" I asked suspiciously.

"Whatever you want me to know," she said. "Whatever you feel like sharing."

"I don't like sharing," I quipped easily.

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked in the same calm, gentle voice.

"Yes," I replied automatically. "Esme and Carlisle want me to be here."

She watched me contemplatively for a moment.

"And why do they want you to be here?" she asked.

"Because they want me to talk to you," I said.

"Why?"

"I don't know," I lied shrugging.

"Yes you do."

I stared at her blankly.

"Because they don't want me to be scared of strangers and they don't want me to be scared when my brother's mad and they want me to sleep at night," I divulged.

"Good," she said.

"Well, my name's Carmen," she said again as I frowned in confusion. "I was born in Miami, Florida. My grandparents were from Mexico and then they immigrated to Cuba. My parents lived in Cuba before my mother got pregnant with me, then they took a boat over to Miami. I was raised in a small Hispanic community in Miami before I graduated high school and went off to the university in Jacksonville to be a doctor. I met Esme while I was there and then Carlisle, and we've been friends ever since. When I finished med school and my residency, I moved to Port Angeles to open this clinic."

"Oh," I said quietly, wondering why in the world she'd bother telling me all that.

"What about you?" she asked idly. "What've you been up to?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. "Stuff?'

"Such as?" she asked interestedly. "For this to work, I need to get to know you."

I stared at her, taking a deep breath.

"I've been reading," I said easily. "Jasper taught me."

"Jasper taught you?" she asked in fascination. "He's a good boy."

"Yeah," I agreed passively. "I know a little about reading and Alice tried to teach me, but Jasper reads a lot of books and he's a good teacher."

"He is," she said easily. "He's a wonderfully apt teacher."

"Oh."

"What else have you been up to besides reading?" she asked. "Esme tells me you've taken an interest in cooking."

"I like cooking with Esme," I said cautiously. "I don't think I'm very good at it though."

"Why not?"

"Esme's better," I pointed out, "but she's too nice to agree with me."

Carmen laughed softly, the sound making me more comfortable.

"Esme doesn't like to hear people talking down to themselves," she informed me. "She wants people to feel confident and secure, no matter what."

"Don't tell her I think I'm bad at cooking," I said quickly. "It'll make her sad."

"Everything said in this room stays in this room," she said easily. "The only time I can break confidentiality is if you tell me you want to hurt yourself or someone around you."

"Oh."

"I'm here for you to talk to, Bella," she said softly. "I'm here as a sort of friend."

"You're a doctor," I accused crossly. "Doctor's aren't nice friends."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, not at all offended by my accusation. "Don't you like Carlisle?"

"Sometimes," I said stubbornly. "I didn't like when he told me he wanted me to come here."

"You didn't like his _idea,"_ she clarified. "You still liked him."

I stared at her, letting that truth sink in.

"Why don't you think doctor's make good friends?"

"Because you hurt!" I cried. "You stun and you stab and poke and feed me pills and-"

"I haven't done any of those things," she pointed out. "All I've done is talk."

"Just wait until I say something you don't like," I said wildly. "You just wait… I know what's in that pocket."

"I have a pen and a pack of mint flavoured chewing gum in my pocket," she said simply, reaching in and pulling out just those two things. I was speechless, and I looked at the couch instead.

"What do you think I keep in my pockets?" she asked softly.

"A stun gun," I said easily. "You all have them."

"Your doctor had one," she agreed. "Not every doctor does."

"Why not?" I asked, honestly curious.

Why didn't Carmen want to zap me with her stun gun? Surely she had one…?

"Because it's unethical and cruel," she replied easily. "I don't use force on any of my patients unless they're combative or harmful towards themselves."

"Oh."

"The very last thing I want to do is hurt you," she said softly. "You can trust me."

I didn't respond, and she continued with a different topic of conversation.

"What about boys?" she asked. "Anyone special?"

I flushed bright red.

"No!" I spluttered. "No boys!"

She laughed as she took in my embarrassed face, only serving to deepen the blush.

"It's alright, Bella," she said easily. "It's only natural for girls your age to start noticing boys. Most girls notice them much earlier than seventeen."

"I'm only sixteen," I corrected.

"I know, honey," she said. "I was rounding up."

"Rounding up?"

"Your birthday's in less than a week," she reminded me. "I think you're allowed to be called seventeen now."

"Oh."

"How've you been getting along at home? Any problems there?"

"No," I said honestly. "I like home."

"That's good," she said, smiling. "Nothing worrisome?'

"No."

"What about your siblings? How've you been getting along with them?"

"Emmett and Alice?" I asked, confused. "They're good."

"Have you spent any time with them, getting to know them?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "I went to the movies with Emmett and Rosalie a while ago and I've been shopping with Alice. Emmett watched Godzilla with me the other night, too."

"That's great," she said. "How are you and Rosalie getting along?"

"Rose's nice," I said easily. "I know why Emmett likes her because I like her too."

Carmen laughed again, and I smiled shyly up at her.

"That's wonderful," she said. "It's very important that you have a good support system at home."

"Support for what?" I asked.

"Support for life," she said vaguely. "Everyone needs someone to talk to."

"I like talking to Edward," I said quickly. "He's good at listening."

"I'm sure he is," she said. "Would you consider Edward a friend?"

"Yeah," I said easily, knowing very well that Edward was one of my very first friends. Alice and Emmett were my brother and sister, and Rosalie and Jasper were more like a second brother and sister instead of a real friend.

Edward wasn't like a brother.

"What do you like about him?" she asked.

"He's nice, he listens, he's calm, he watches movies with me, he plays piano, he likes classical music and he shares my floor," I rambled. "I'm sure there's more."

"Good," said Carmen. "I'm glad you have a friend."

"What about Carlisle?" she asked again. "How've you been getting along with him?"

"Fine," I said cautiously.

"Were you ever not fine with him?"

"Yes," I said uneasily. "I didn't like him at first."

"You didn't like him or you were scared of him?"

"I was scared of him," I admitted.

"Why?"

"Because he was a boy doctor with light hair and he had a cell phone in his pocket."

"A cell phone?"

"It looked like a stun gun and I didn't like it," I admitted. "I was scared of that phone and I was scared of his pocket."

"I understand," she said. "It would be hard for someone who was hurt by a man to trust them afterwards. I see it all the time."

"Oh."

"Do you ever want to go to school?" asked Carmen softly. "Edward, Alice and Jasper went back this week."

"I know," I said sadly. I missed them…

"Would you ever feel comfortable in a school setting?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I've never been there."

"Yes you have," she said softly. "Kids start kindergarten at four years old. You would have been three when you started, since you're a September baby."

"Oh."

I'd gone to school?

"You were most likely going into second grade the summer your parents passed away," she informed me.

"Oh."

"You would have learned the basics of reading and writing, as well as some of the most basic mathematics."

"I don't know any of that," I argued.

"You know how to read," she contradicted. "Can you write?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "A little bit."

"And do you know your numbers?"

"Yeah," I said, slightly offended that she thought I was so stupid.

"Those are things learned in first grade," she said.

"Oh."

"Do you think you'd ever feel comfortable in school again?" she asked.

"I don't know, maybe?" I said, growing frustrated with the question. "Why?"

"It's just a question," she said easily, smiling. "I'm glad you answered so positively."

"Why?"

"Because it shows promise," she said gently. "Would you _want _to go to school, if you were comfortable with it?"

"Yes," I said eagerly, my thirst for knowledge rearing up again. "I have a lot of questions to ask Jasper."

She smiled indulgently.

"That's an even better answer. People who _want _to get better often get better much faster than those who don't."

"Well, I _do _want to learn not to be afraid," I said sadly, "and Carlisle says that's your job."

"It is," she said. "My job is to make you comfortable enough to live a good life and to guide you through times you find trying."

I blushed again as she sighed, glancing at the clock.

"We have ten minutes left," she said quickly. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

I thought for a long moment before I answered.

"How long does this take?" I asked carefully, assessing her reaction.

"As long as it takes," she answered, frustratingly vague. "It's different for everybody."

"You don't have _any _idea?" I asked.

"Not yet," she admitted. "It's only the first session."

"How many sessions will we have?"

"I'm aiming for twice a week," she said.

"Is that a normal number?" I asked, not wanting to be the oddball.

"Normal is relative," she dismissed.

"It's _what?"_

"Relative," she repeated. "It means that being normal is only really 'normal' when you look at someone else's normal and compare the two."

I frowned, trying to wrap my head around that.

"I don't believe in normal," she divulged gently. "Some people come in to see me only once or twice a month and others come up to four or five times per week."

"Okay," I said.

"I think, though I can't be certain, that what you went through at the hands of Dupont in Phoenix means that we'll be talking for a while," she admitted. "Victims of abuse, sexual assault and captivity often take the most time to work with."

Great. Now I was a head case.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," she said sharply, seeing the look on my face. "There's no shame in getting help when its needed."

"I know," I said. "That's what Esme said."

"And she's quite right," said Carmen easily. "I'd listen to her, if I were you."

"I do listen to Esme."

"I know, honey," she said again. "I think you'll do well once we get to know each other better."

Had I not done well today? Was Carmen angry with me-?

"You did _very _well today," she admonished, almost as if she could read my mind. "You were very open."

"Oh."

"It takes time to get used to the therapy process and to build trust. I don't expect you to tell me everything about you right at the very start."

"Okay," I said gently. Carmen smiled indulgently at me and turned towards the table in front of us, grabbing a file folder I hadn't noticed before.

"This session was sort of a practice session," she said. "In the future, I'll need to know whether or not you'd rather me take notes or use the recorder."

"Notes," I said quickly. "I don't like being recorded."

"Not a problem," she said breezily.

"Why do you need notes?" I asked.

"Because I need to keep track of what subjects we've covered and whether or not you're making progress."

"Oh."

"Now, we need to go over medications," she said.

I tensed, and she noticed almost instantly.

"Don't panic over it," she said. "It'll be fine."

"Medicines are never _fine."_

"Mine are," she said easily. "Doctor Denali has prescribed you Ativan and Atenolol?" she asked.

"Yes," I said grudgingly. "I take them every day."

"Good," she said, running her eyes over the paper. "I agree with the Ativan."

"Oh."

"I'm not going to tweak anything just yet," she said. "I don't want to act prematurely."

"Prematurely?"

"I might prescribe you an antidepressant," she said softly. "It'll regulate your moods and help with your sleep. We'll see where we stand in a few weeks."

"Okay."

No point arguing about medicine I didn't even have, right?

Plus, I didn't want to make Carmen angry with me.

"Well, we've gone five minutes over," she noted, glancing at the large ticking clock on the wall beside us. I glanced up as well, reading the black numbers carefully.

2:35.

"Esme will be waiting in the lobby," she informed me. "Come on with me, and we'll set up your next appointment."

"Okay," I said gently.

"And we'll see if we can't get a schedule started."

"What for?" I asked quietly.

"It's a lot easier on the patients if there's a routine involved," she explained. "Today's Thursday, so maybe I'll see you again on Monday?"

"Monday's fine, I think," I said, knowing it depended on Esme's schedule, not mine.

"We'll talk with Esme," she said softly. "We'll figure it out."

"Okay."

"Bella," said the familiar voice as soon as Carmen and I emerged from the hiding hallway. I saw Esme rise from her seat to greet us as we approached, and I felt a flood of love for her as I moved away from Carmen.

I hugged Esme tight, having missed a familiar face during my session with Carmen.

"How'd it go?" she asked quietly, stroking my hair as I rested my head on her shoulder.

"Astonishingly well," said Carmen easily, smiling widely at the evidence of my relationship with Esme. "We got to know each other."

"That's great, sweetheart," said Esme gently. "Were you alright? No panic?"

"No," I admitted. "It was okay."

I still didn't particularly like it, but Carmen _was _good for talking… she and Edward both knew how to listen.

"We'll set up our schedule with Annette, alright?" she asked, waving the two of us over to the woman at the front desk.

"Mondays and Thursdays?" asked Carmen, looking between Esme and I. "I think a bi-weekly schedule would suit us."

"Alright," agreed Esme easily. "Whatever works best for you."

She glanced down at me and squeezed my shoulder affectionately.

"We have Mondays at 2:00 and Thursdays at 1:30, just like today," said Annette, the computer woman.

"That's fine," said Esme quickly. "We'll see you Monday."

"Great," said Carmen. "Book her in for the next eight weeks."

Annette did as she was told, even when Carmen told her to avoid scheduling more patients during my slot even _after _eight weeks.

"Routine is important," she said softly. "It gives you a sense of normalcy."

I didn't comment on her routine business, knowing very well how valuable routine was.

I didn't like not knowing what to expect.

"Well, the two of you have a good day," said Carmen kindly. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Bye," I said, earning me a gentle wave and smile from Carmen Sanchez, my new doctor.

She was much nicer than the old one and as Esme led me out of the building, I felt a bubbling excitement growing within me.

"She didn't zap!" I exclaimed happily, the shock of that realization finally coming down on me. Esme's head snapped around to me, looking torn between terrible sadness and pride.

"No, she didn't," said Esme gently. "Carmen's a wonderful woman." I simply shrugged and sat down in the passenger seat of Esme's vehicle, happier than I was going in.

"Do you think you'll like Carmen?" she asked nervously. "We'll have to give it another few sessions, just to make sure, but if you're not liking her then we can look somewhere else, maybe in Seattle-"

"No," I said quickly. "Carmen doesn't zap."

"Neither would anyone else, Bella," she argued. "They're just as qualified and I know Carmen would understand if you weren't comfortable-"

"I _like _Carmen," I said bluntly. "She's nice."

Esme beamed and took my hand in hers, excited.

"I'm very glad," she said. "So very, very glad."

I blushed.

"What would you like for dinner tonight?" asked Esme softly.

"I don't know…" I drawled. "Chicken?"

I loved Esme's special chicken she made in the oven.

"Whatever you want," she said easily. "You deserve it."

"Why?" I asked, wondering out loud.

"Because you had an excellent day today, and I'm extremely proud of you."

"Oh."

"Carlisle's going to be proud as well," she said. "He was worried you wouldn't take to Carmen as well as I'd hoped you would."

"Well, he was wrong," I said, shrugging. "I _do _like her."

Esme just smiled, gluing her eyes to the road in front of her.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed Carmen... I couldn't bear to have Bella freak out yet again over Carmen. She's progressing.**

**Now for the info... if you check out my profile, you'll find links to more Google Docs pages with more diagrams... so far, I have the age/grade chart and family tree from before, but I've also added a sort of map of the Cullen's yard and each floor of their home. I'm trying to go back through the chapters and fix any discrepancies (since the diagram is fairly new). For example, in one of the chapters it said that Carlisle's study was on the second floor, but the diagram puts it on the third. I'll go back and change that soon enough.**

**Please leave a review! I think we'll pass the 1000 review mark this chapter!**


	30. Chapter 29

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 29**

**A/N: Here's the 29th chapter! I hope everyone enjoys it...**

**...and please remember that there's always a calm before the storm.**

BPOV

Esme pulled into the driveway and parked her car easily, smiling at me yet again as I unbuckled my seatbelt and slithered out of the car. She walked with me towards the door and opened it up for me, letting me in first.

Esme was very, very pleased.

"Alice, Jasper and Edward should be home soon," said Esme gently. "I'll go get started on dinner."

"Okay," I said easily. I watched as Esme turned her back to me and moved towards the kitchen, leaving me alone in the entranceway.

I didn't know what to do with myself now, so I wandered towards the sitting room. As I came towards the sitting room I distinctly remembered walking this very same path the very first time I'd been in this house.

I remembered how scared I was and how terribly worried it made me to be within twenty feet of Doctor Carlisle Cullen.

I almost laughed at how scared I'd been…

…almost. If it hadn't been so terrifying and I hadn't been so traumatized by doctors, it might have been funny.

"Hi Bella."

I wheeled around to face the doorway once more, coming face to face with my brother's girlfriend.

"Hi Rosalie," I said quietly, watching as she came inside. She lowered herself down on one of the sofas, a thick novel clenched in her hands.

"What's that?" I asked, craning to see the title.

"Anna Karenina." she said easily. "It's a Tolstoy novel."

"Oh."

"Maybe you can borrow it sometime," she said. "Ask Jasper."

"It's his?" I guessed, already knowing the answer. She laughed, tossing the book on the table in front of her as she waved me over, letting me sit next to her.

"I think every book in this house belongs to either Jasper, Carlisle or you."

"Me?"

"You enjoy reading," she shrugged. "The rest of us don't love it half as much as the three of you do."

"What about Esme?" I asked.

"She prefers design."

"Designing what?" I asked.

"Houses," she said. "Esme's an interior designer."

I didn't even know Esme had a job.

"She works from home for large-scale clients. Her last project was designing the public areas of a hotel in New York."

"Wow," I said, impressed.

"Emmett's more into sports," she informed me. "He likes football, especially. He won football scholarships for four universities out east. We chose Yale."

"Right," I said, remembering Emmett's plans to leave next fall. "What about you?" I asked. "What do you like?"

She beamed at me.

"Cars," she said. "I _love _cars."

"Really?" I asked, surprised that pretty, feminine Rosalie was into cars and engines.

"I've built two," she admitted. "One when I was sixteen and the other was just completed a few months ago, right before you came."

"You build cars?" I asked, amazed.

"I rebuild them from scrap parts. I sold the ones I built and got some extra cash for school," she shrugged. "I enjoy it."

"Right."

"Edward," she continued, "is into music."

"I like Edward's music," I said softly, remembering the soft melodies that floated out of his piano.

"Most people do," she said.

"What about Alice?" I asked, knowing very well that Alice loved art and clothing. I just didn't want Rosalie to think I couldn't have a conversation and get bored with me.

It was very important that Rosalie like me.

She just smiled, knowing exactly what I was doing.

"Alice likes clothing, as you well know," she scolded playfully. "Clothes and drawing."

I smiled, relieved that she hadn't been angry catching me at my tricks.

"What does she want to do after high school?" I asked.

Rosalie grinned at me.

"She wants to go for a degree in visual arts before she moves on to one of the art institutions in Seattle for clothing design. She eventually wants her own line of clothing."

"Oh."

"I plan on getting a degree in mechanical engineering and business so I can open up an auto mechanics shop," she informed me.

"As far as I know, Jasper's going for either psychology or teaching and Edward wants to go for medicine."

"A doctor?" I asked, confused.

How could my kind, gentle Edward want to be a doctor?

"Yeah, ever since he was little," said Rosalie. "I think Carlisle had a lot to do with it. Edward really looks up to dad."

"Oh." I knew that Edward liked Carlisle, but I didn't know he liked him that much.

"Emmett wants to go for teaching too," said Rose, smiling.

Emmett wanted to teach kids?

"Teach what?" I asked.

"Phys. Ed," she told me.

"What's that?"

"Gym," she said. "Sports."

I giggled. That suited him.

"What about you?" asked Rosalie. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," I said, caught off guard. "I need to learn before I get a job."

"I know, but you must have an idea," she reasoned. "Even little kids have ideas."

I thought for a moment, running through the options in my head.

"Something with words," I said. I _loved _learning new words. "Maybe I can write."

She beamed at me.

"Like an author or a journalist?" she asked.

"What's a journalist do?"

"They work for newspapers and stuff. They investigate something and then write about it."

"I'd like that," I decided. "I could learn about things all by myself." Rosalie just smiled at me, nodding her head.

"Ambitions are good for people to have," she said. "They help make you who you are."

"Oh."

"How long have you liked cars?" I asked. Rosalie answered without even the slightest thought.

"Forever," she gushed. "Even before Jasper and I came to live with Carlisle and Esme I was into cars. Mine and Jasper's biological parents never had a car, but we knew people who did. I built my first model when I was nine," she admitted. "Just before I came here."

"How old were you when you came here?" I asked.

"Ten," she said. "Jasper was nine."

"When did Alice and Emmett come?" I wondered. "Were they here first?"

"No," she said softly. "Carlisle and Esme fostered Edward when he was five and adopted him when he was six. I don't think they ever intended on taking any more kids, but since mine and Jasper's parents were being tried in Washington, not Texas-"

"Tried?" I interrupted, confused.

"In court," she said softly. "My parents lived in Tacoma before Jasper and I were born, and they'd been charged with possession and trafficking, amongst other things."

"Possession and trafficking?" I asked, wondering if I should be asking these things. She looked up at me with a curious expression, and I immediately backtracked.

"Sorry-"

"No, Bella," she said softly. "I just forget that you're not familiar with a lot of our colloquial terms."

"Oh."

"You can ask me anything," she assured. "I won't be angry. It means possession and trafficking of drugs. My parents had drugs on them and were going to sell them."

"What kinds of drugs?" I blurted. "Did they make you take them?"

"No, they didn't make me take them," she said patiently.

"Oh."

"Cocaine, ecstasy, crystal meth and marijuana," she said. "Street drugs."

"I know what cocaine and ecstasy are," I said ominously. "He played with them."

Rosalie stared at me sadly, looking terribly saddened.

"My parents were taken in Dallas and brought to Washington for court, and Jasper and I were towed along. My parents were convicted on a bunch of stuff and ended up doing fifteen years apiece, so Jasper and I went into foster care. We were originally placed in a group home in Seattle, but that wasn't the greatest place for kids."

"I went to one too," I offered. "The papers said Felix was there."

"I know, honey," she soothed. "After a few months, the officials decided to move the kids around, and Jasper and I ended up with Carlisle and Esme."

"That's nice," I said honestly, glad that Rosalie had been lucky enough to end up in a happy home.

"It was nice," she said honestly. "The two of us were treated like children, not burdens. Carlisle and Esme loved us."

"They still love you," I reminded her. She just grinned and continued her story.

"We'd been here for about four months before Emmett and Alice came," she said softly. "Carlisle and Esme had just gotten the hang of Jasper and I and now, they had two more."

"Were they good?" I wondered, having trouble seeing Emmett as anything other than rambunctious and loud.

"Define good," she said softly. "They weren't very _bad."_

"If you're not good, you're bad," I said simply, shrugging. "Either they were good or they were bad."

"There's a gray area there, Bella," she told me. "Not everything's black and white."

"Oh."

"Alice was overwhelmed," she said. "She'd just lost her parents and her sister, and Emmett was just miserable."

I felt a pang of sadness for my brother that went far beyond simple pity. I felt awful knowing that happy Emmett had been _miserable._

"Carlisle's big on talking," said Rosalie. "He likes to know about his kids' day and how they're doing. Emmett didn't like talking and wanted to keep everything quiet. He and Carlisle didn't get along in the beginning."

"Emmett fought with Carlisle?" I asked, aghast.

"All the time," she said. "He fought with Esme a bit too."

"Why?"

"He was sad," she said, shrugging. "He didn't like Carlisle trying to be a dad to him."

"Why not?" I asked tartly.

"Bella," she began softly. "I know you don't remember much of your parents, but Emmett was eleven years old and he really _did _remember. It was hard for him to let go of Charlie and Renee to let Carlisle and Esme in."

"Oh."

I guess that made sense.

"He didn't like that Alice was so close to them either," she added. "Alice took to Esme easily and Emmett saw it as a betrayal."

"Poor Emmett," I said sadly, sighing as I rested my head on the back of the sofa.

"After about six months, things really sunk in for him," she informed me. "I think he finally realized that Carlisle and Esme were the new reality."

I nodded sadly.

"He just relaxed," she said, smiling. "He'd put so much effort into misbehaving and pushing people's buttons that once the reality sunk in, he just stopped."

"Good," I said, not liking the idea of Emmett being bad just to make Carlisle angry.

"Once Emmett calmed down and had an actual conversation with Carlisle, they grew closer and the rest is history. The four of us were adopted at the same time on the July 14, 2001."

"What happened after?" I asked, wanting to know more. I wanted to know how my family had lived before I came.

"Nothing special," she said, brushing the matter aside. I frowned, knowing there had to be _something_ she could tell me.

She caught on and sighed heavily, looking a little apprehensive.

"Things happened," she said finally. "Not all of them are happy, though."

"I don't care," I said quickly. "I want to know."

"Well," she began, thinking. "We all went to school," she said.

"And?"

"And we lived life," she shrugged, smiling. "Everyone besides Edward and I ended up having to redo the school year the year after we came here," she said. "Jasper and Alice went through third grade twice and Emmett redid fifth."

"Why?" I asked, knowing very well that Alice, Jasper and Emmett were very smart. Rosalie frowned lightly and rested her hands on my hair, turning me around so she could play in it.

I ended up with my head in her lap while she French braided the front of my hair.

"Losing their families hurt them," she said softly. "Jasper wasn't very academic in his younger years."

"Really?" I asked dubiously.

"Carlisle got him into books," she said. "Our biological parents weren't as nurturing as you might think."

"Why not?"

"They didn't encourage school," said Rose. "They saw Jasper and I as nothing more than financial burdens, and their treatment bordered on abusive. It was neglectful, at the very least."

"Oh."

"Jasper and I cared mostly for ourselves," she said. "No one encouraged us to read and write, or to finish our homework. I was much more motivated than my brother was to get things done. Jasper was just a little boy, and no one could have expected him to motivate himself."

I felt myself growing angry towards Jasper and Rosalie's biological parents.

"What was your last name before Cullen?" I asked.

"Hale," she said simply. "Jasper and Rosalie Hale."

"Oh."

"David and Lillian Hale are still in prison, and they'll be out in about five years."

"What are you and Jasper going to do when they get out?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, shrugging as she ran her fingers through the newly-braided hair so she could start over. "They have no hold on either of us anymore, now that we're legal adults."

"Good," I decided. "I don't like them."

She laughed indulgently, brushing the loose tendrils of hair off of my face.

"Shall I continue?" she asked, returning to the main part of the story.

"Yes."

"Alice and Jasper were in the same grade and so were Emmett and I after he was held back."

"I thought Emmett was older," I argued. "Shouldn't he have been two years ahead?"

I'd done the math in my room.

"That's your parents' doing," she explained. "He's a December baby and he only started kindergarten when he was turning five, not four. Your parents kept him back a year because they thought he wasn't ready."

"Oh."

"Anyways, Emmett and I were in the same grade until his grade 10 year," she explained. "I stayed back a year."

"Why?" I asked curiously. Surely Rosalie was smart enough to pass?

"I failed most of my freshman classes," she said. "Something came up."

Her face was no longer smiling or at ease, but tense and unhappy.

"I was turning fifteen my first January in ninth grade," she said. "I was older than most of my classmates because I was born in January, not December. If I'd been born a few days earlier, I'd have been in tenth grade instead."

"Oh."

"Anyways," she continued. "I liked high school. I was popular, I was pretty and I'd just found out about being a teenager. High school really opened my eyes and suddenly, the worst kid in the playground wasn't the one who stole his dad's cigarettes and smoked at recess. People drank, they did drugs, they were having sex…"

I flushed, having no misconceptions about what…_ sex…_ was.

I knew about sex.

"Kids were different here," she explained. "I was loving every minute of it. I got invited to all the parties and get-togethers the kids were having. If there was a piece of gossip, it was almost certain that I'd know."

"What happened?" I asked confusedly, wondering why pretty, perky Rosalie would have failed her first year in high school.

It was sort of sad.

"It was almost the end of the year, I was almost fifteen, and I went to a party for New Year's Eve," she began. "It was at the Crowley house across town."

I had no idea who Crowley was, but I sensed that something unpleasant had happened in his house.

"I'd been invited by Danny Newton," she said. "You've seen his little brother Mike around town."

I didn't like Mike Newton, and I scowled. Rosalie smiled sadly and picked up another portion of my hair, gently running her fingers through it.

"Danny was a senior and I was a little freshman, so of course I was excited. He picked me up and we drove over to Tim Crowley's place, since his parents and brother were out of town for the weekend. Carlisle and Esme thought I was going to a sleepover with one of the girls in my class."

"You lied to Carlisle and Esme?" I asked, aghast. Rosalie smiled down at me, shrugging.

"Most kids do," she explained.

"Kids lie to Carlisle and Esme?" I asked, confused.

"No," she laughed. "Most kids lie to their parents at some point in their lives."

"Oh."

"I don't encourage it, though," she said quickly, trying to sound stern. "It's not a very nice thing to do."

"No," I agreed, shrugging as she resumed her braiding.

"I went to the party and had my first taste of alcohol," she explained. "Danny fed me beer all night until midnight. Do you know anything about New Year's Eve?" she asked.

"Not really," I admitted. "I think people have fireworks."

"Sometimes," she admitted. "Most of the time, at a party or get together, people find someone to kiss at midnight," she explained.

"Gross," I complained, earning me a smile.

"I found someone easily enough," she said. "I didn't know him from Adam but the kid could kiss. He was a lot older than me, and I thought I was special. Most of the time, seniors don't pay any real attention to the freshmen, and I really thought he might've liked me.

"After the kiss we ended up on a sofa. He had his hands all over me and before I knew it, we were going upstairs."

I frowned, not liking where this was going.

"We ended up in the master bedroom and he was trying to get me out of my top," she said, "before I came to my senses. I tried to stop him but by the time I wanted to stop, he was too far gone…"

I gasped, looking up at her in horror.

Rosalie had her own Felix in her own holding room, and I felt very sorry for her.

"I'm sure you know what happened next," she said sadly, her voice far away. "When he was done, I left him up in the room and I went and found Danny," she explained. "I guess I told him what had happened and he freaked out before he drove me home. He was the one who had to explain to Carlisle what had happened."

"Was he mad?" I asked. "Carlisle, I mean."

"Very," she said softly. "I've rarely seen him that angry."

"At you?" I asked. She shook her head easily.

"He was disappointed in the fact that I'd lied to him," she said, "but he was angry with the one who'd hurt me."

"What happened?" I asked in wonder.

"Carlisle and Esme brought me to the ER, I got checked out, I took a morning after pill so I wouldn't get pregnant and I spent the night in the hospital so I could be monitored for signs of trauma."

"Oh."

"I got to go home the next day but the damage was done," she said. "I couldn't bring myself to focus on homework when all I could think about was that night. Emmett helped a lot."

"Emmett?" I asked.

"We've only been dating for about two and a half years, but we were best friends before that. I told him everything, and he really helped when things got tough."

I sighed and turned my head around, sitting up in my seat as I looked at her.

She looked sad now, and I felt bad for upsetting her.

"I failed that year at school, but Carlisle and Esme understood. I passed with flying colours the next year, after I'd been to see a counsellor over the summer. Things went much better the year after."

"What happened to that boy?" I asked carefully, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

"He was arrested and charged," she said, shrugging. "He ended up in prison for two years."

"That's it?" I yelped. "Just two years?"

"He was only seventeen," she said. "He was a minor, and Marcus said we were lucky he went away at all. Only the hospital's records showing evidence of rape could actually _prove _he'd forced himself on me."

I grimaced and she noticed.

"Sorry," she said gently. "I know that's a sensitive subject for you."

Yes, it most definitely was.

"After ninth grade, I passed through tenth, eleventh and twelfth easily. During my twelfth year, Emmett took a fifth year to stay back with me. We were going to go off to Connecticut this year, but Emmett wanted to stay back."

"Because of me," I said bitterly.

"Because he loves you," she corrected. "He adores you, Bella, and he wanted to make sure you were safe and happy before he up and left. Plus, he's missed you. "

"You stayed too," I said softly, looking up.

"I'd never move across the country without Emmett," she said emphatically, "and I'd like to be here for you too."

I blushed.

"You're Emmett's sister and Emmett loves you, which means that I love you too and want the same things for you that he does. I want you to be happy and healthy before we go."

The blush darkened.

"Thanks Rosalie," I said bashfully.

"It's just the truth," she said, shrugging. "Nothing to thank me for."

"Well, thanks anyways," I said simply. "Not many people have said that to me."

She gave me another strange look before she fell silent once more.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" she asked gently. "We haven't talked much, but…"

"I know," I said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Bella? Rosalie?" The two of us turned towards the kitchen, where Esme's voice was coming from.

"Come on," said Rosalie, offering me her hand. I took it and she helped me to my feet, letting me trail behind her as she led the way to the kitchen.

She was much, much taller than me.

"Yeah mom?" she asked as we entered the kitchen.

"Oh good," said Esme. "Come here. Rose, would you mix this for me?" She passed a bowl to Rosalie, who began mixing what I recognized as bread dough in the bowl.

"You can cut these, Bella," she directed, handing me a thick, orange carrot.

"Okay," I said, moving over to the cutting board to slice the carrot. I saw Esme taking pieces of chicken out of a Ziploc bag filled with a marinade, placing them in the bottom of two glass dishes.

I smiled as I sliced carrot, knowing very well how yummy that chicken was.

"Carlisle just called me," said Esme softly, gaining both of our attentions.

"About what?" asked Rose.

"Bella," she began.

"What about me?" I asked nervously, focusing the brunt of my attention on not chopping my fingers off along with the carrot.

"Carlisle was faxed papers today at work, and the officials working on your case in Arizona are sending Danielle to visit again."

I frowned, clearing my throat.

"Why?" I asked idly.

"Because she still has questions to ask," she said. "Don't worry about it."

"She'll ask things," I said. "Of course I'm going to worry."

"Marcus is flying up from Florida as we speak," she said. "He's coming home early from one of his cases down there so she can't badger you."

I sighed, finding no point in arguing the inevitable.

"When's he going to get here?" I asked.

"Sometime around eight tonight," she said. "In a few hours."

"Doesn't he mind?" I wondered. "That's an awful long way…"

"That's what family's for, Bella," she said softly. "They help."

"Marcus won't mind," said Rosalie easily. "He's cool."

"That's what Emmett said," I grumbled, making her laugh.

"For once, that brother of yours is right," she teased.

I cracked a small smile as well, despite Danielle's impending arrival.

How had someone so safe grown into someone so fearsome?

…not even Danielle, I decided, would ruin my good mood.

"Uncle Marcus will make sure this woman doesn't make you uncomfortable," said Rosalie. "He's probably pre-approving all questions as we speak."

"Don't worry too much," said Esme again. "Just enjoy the evening."

"I'll try," I said carefully

"That's all I ask," she said.

When we were all done, she took the dough and carrots and put them in their rightful places, alongside the chicken and in a special bread pan.

"Thank you for helping," she said, even though I knew very well that the "helping" façade was only her way of telling me about the meeting tomorrow.

"Hello?" called Alice's voice, making me smile as I turned and left the kitchen. She, Edward, Jasper and Emmett all stood in the doorway, and I instantly threw my arms around her neck.

"Hi Alice," I said affectionately, earning me a laugh and a pat on the back.

"You're in a good mood," she noted, pulling back to survey me. "How did it go?"

"Fine," I said easily. I saw Emmett smile as he threw his car keys in the bowl by the door, obviously having volunteered to pick up the other three at school.

"Great," she said. "I'm glad you decided to try it out."

"What's mom making?" asked Emmett suddenly, glancing over my shoulder.

"Chicken," I said slyly, knowing very well that my favourite was also Emmett's favourite.

"Love you, Boo," he said, giving me a brief hug before he moved off to see Esme, ready to help in any way he could.

"Marcus is coming," I blurted, earning me three curious stares.

"Carlisle's uncle, Marcus?" asked Edward

"Yeah, from Florida," I said knowledgably.

"Can I ask why?" he asked gently.

"Danielle's coming back and Carlisle called him to make sure she doesn't ask the wrong questions."

"Cool," said Alice. "Marcus is awesome."

"So I've heard," I teased easily, turning around to move back into the house.

"Oh!" I turned back. Three pairs of eyes watched me as I turned my attention to Jasper.

"Can I ask something?" I asked. He nodded easily, hanging his jacket up on a hanger.

"Can I try to read the book Rosalie's reading when she's finished?" I asked.

"Anna Karenina?" he asked, astonished.

"Yeah, that one," I said. "It looks complicated."

"It is," said Jasper.

"I want to read it," I said firmly. "Please?"

"Sure, if you want to," he said. "I'll help you get through it."

I was having such a good day that even though I'd never dared get too close to Jasper without invitation before, I marched right on over and hugged him too.

Why not?

"Thank you," I said sincerely. He patted my back, giving Alice an astonished glance as he returned the affection.

"You're welcome," he said softly. I let him go, ignoring my own pink and patchy cheeks as I nodded and turned, leading the way to the kitchen.

Esme was there with Emmett, preparing the dishes for our special dinner.

"Celebration chicken?" asked Jasper, impressed. "Bella just said chicken."

"It is worth celebrating today," said Esme excitedly. "Bella's meeting with Carmen went very well."

"Good for you, Bella," said Jasper honestly. Alice just squeezed my shoulders in her special way and Edward smiled at me brightly from his place at the table.

And then, he winked at me.

I was surprised my cheeks didn't explode.

**A/N: Please leave a review!**

**Some people have been asking when thing are going to really shift... if you want clues, look back at the story itself, as well as A/N's from previous chapters. I'll warn you now, some of you may be a little angry with me next chapter, but what's about to go down has been planned from the beginning (it was actually the entire BASIS for the story, which has been planned for a while now).**

**Prepare yourselves for a bit of a cliffhanger next chapter, and try not to be too mad!**


	31. Chapter 30

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 30**

**A/N: Enjoy chapter 30 (and try not to be too mad... I did drop a lot of hints!)**

CPOV

"I _want_ them to," she insisted, watching me defiantly.

"Bella, I'm not sure the agents would approve of-"

"I don't _care _what Danielle wants!" she cried. "I don't like her."

"I know, honey, but sometimes it's easier to talk without a bunch of people around-"

"They want to be here and I want them here," she pleaded. "Danielle can just deal with it."

I smiled, despite Bella's defiance.

"If you insist," I said, finally giving into her.

Bella wanted Edward and Emmett to sit in on her questioning with Danielle, and I couldn't deny her. She was feeling a little under the weather today, and the entire household knew Marcus intimidated her.

"I do insist," she muttered. "I want them there."

"Alright, sweetheart," I placated. "Don't get worked up about it."

The last thing I wanted was for her to get sick again… she was already feeling tired and a little queasy.

"Sorry," she muttered, sitting herself down on the sofa and resting her cheek on the armrest.

She looked very pale, and I was concerned.

"Are you sure you're feeling well enough for this?" I asked. "Danielle can wait..."

"I want to get it over with," she grumbled. "I don't want to wait."

"Alright," I said. "Marcus has the list of questions, if you'd like to see it."

"No thanks," she grumbled.

"She's going to ask you to testify," I warned. "You don't have to say yes."

"I won't say yes," she said simply. "I'll say no, just like I always have."

"That's fine," I soothed, wishing she would be in better spirits. She'd had such a good, happy day yesterday after facing Carmen that I'd truly believed it would carry over to today.

"Carlisle?" she asked softly.

"Yes dear?"

"How long is this going to take?" she asked tiredly.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "Probably no more than an hour."

"Okay."

She fell silent just as Marcus descended the staircase, freshly dressed and showered.

"Good morning Bella," he said kindly, making a sincere effort to gain her trust. Bella simply glanced up and surveyed him, taking in the dark hair and light eyes.

He looked more like Felix than anyone else did, and although she'd progressed in leaps and bounds over the past months, she was still leery of strange men.

"Hi," she squeaked, turning away from him to effectively cut off all communication.

Marcus frowned, and I pitied him, knowing that my children were like his surrogate children… he was very close with all the others. He sat down on the sofa directly across from Bella and both of us watched as she curled her legs up and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

"Are you ready?" asked Marcus gently. "Do you want to see the questions?"

"Yes, and no thank you," she replied promptly, keeping her eyes closed. "I just want her to leave."

"Please remember that you don't have to testify," he said. "They can't force you."

"I know," she said in a monotone.

"Where are Emmett and Edward?" I asked, glancing at Marcus. "Did you see them upstairs?"

"They're in Em's room, arguing on who gets to come down here," he admitted

"I'll go get them," I sighed, glancing at Bella. "You'll be okay here?"

Her eyes snapped open before they shifted to Marcus, her body tensing.

"Yeah."

She was an awful liar, but I pretended to believe her anyways and left her alone with my father's brother.

"It's up to her!" said Edward angrily, just as my feet hit the second floor landing. "It's her choice!"

"I'm her brother!" cried Emmett, offended. "I should be down there-"

"She asked me," said Edward simply.

"She asked me too," countered Emmett angrily. "She asked both of us, and as her brother, I'm claiming precedence."

"That's not how it works," argued Edward. "We should just ask her."

"And make her awkward?" demanded Emmett. "I don't think so. Get out of my room and go upstairs. I'm going to see Bell."

"No," argued Edward. "She's-"

"Enough fighting," I cut in, opening the door to find both my boys facing off across the bed. "Don't argue."

"I'm going to see Bella," said Emmett angrily. "I'll be back later."

"You can _both _go see her," I said.

"You said only one," said Emmett pointedly. "I'm going to my sister and this asshole is going back upstairs."

"Watch your mouth," I scolded sternly. "You're both going down, since she just had this very same argument with me."

"And since when do arguments get anywhere with you?" challenged Emmett, obviously incensed.

"Since today," I admitted. Both boys frowned confusedly.

"She's not feeling the best and I don't want to stress her out," I said. "If she wants the two of you down there, it's an easy alternative to her getting sick."

"She's sick?" boomed Emmett.

"Not yet," I said, shushing him. "She's feeling tired and a little queasy, and I don't want it to escalate."

"She was fine yesterday," he reasoned. "Better than fine, actually."

"I know," I said. "I think it's caused by stress, and with her arrhythmia…" I trailed off.

"She needs to relax," finished Emmett sullenly. "Is she okay?"

"I assume so," I said, shrugging. "She's not complaining."

"When does Bella ever complain?" he growled. "Let's go."

And with that, Emmett stalked out of his bedroom, leaving Edward and I behind.

"Don't push him," I warned.

"Bella asked me to be there," he said exasperatedly.

"I know, but Emmett's right," I scolded. "He's her brother."

Edward looked mutinous.

"And I'm her… friend," he countered awkwardly, sighing heavily as he shook his head. He left the room as well, leaving me alone in my eldest son's bedroom.

Friend?

I was starting to doubt that.

"Carlisle!" called Marcus gently, gaining my attention and effectively distracting me. I left the room slowly, closing the door behind me as I made my way to the living room. Edward and Emmett were sitting on the sofa with Bella, while Marcus knelt beside her, his hand on her foot.

"What's going on?" I asked, seeing Bella's apprehension as Marcus inspected her feet.

"Look at this," he said, waving me over. I walked over carefully and glanced down at her foot, frowning.

"What?" I asked. Marcus moved aside to let me get a good look at Bella's foot.

"What happened?" I asked, glancing down at the swollen extremity. Her foot, though not badly swollen, was puffy, obviously retaining water.

"I don't know," she said, shrugging. "It's not sore."

"Was it ever sore?" I asked, gently prodding.

"Not really…" she hedged.

"Not really?"

"A little bit," she admitted. "But not too bad."

"When did you notice it first?" I asked.

"I don't know…" she thought back. "Maybe last week? It happens all the time," she said dismissively

I sighed, resting her foot back on the sofa. The other foot was swollen as well.

"Did you hurt them?" I asked, knowing very well that it was unlikely she would injure both ankles at the same time in the exact same way.

And there was no bruising.

"No," she said. "I just woke up and they were a little puffy. It happened all the time at the Institute."

I frowned, deeply unhappy.

"If this happens again, I want you to tell me," I said softly. "It's very important."

"Is it bad?" she said, fearful.

"I'm not sure," I admitted.

She paled, and I sighed sadly.

"I'll call Eleazar as soon as we're done with this meeting," I said. "He'll get that echo and x-ray done by the end of the week."

"Okay," she said, frowning. Emmett took her hand gently in his own, rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand.

"Where's Esme?" asked Marcus.

"She's on her way back from the grocery store," I said. "She'll be back before the agents get here."

"Alright," he said, moving over to his briefcase beside the sofa. He rested it on the coffee table in front of him and opened it up, leafing through papers and rifling through file folders.

"Here we are," he said, removing the case information. "Here's the pre-approved list of questions, Bella's rights as a witness, her rights as a minor, her rights as a victim of abuse and her rights as the victim of violent crime. Do you want to take a look?"

Bella shook her head vehemently, resting her head against Emmett's arm.

"I also have written notice from both Eleazar Denali and Carmen Sanchez that her precarious health status prevents her from being badgered or stressed."

"You spoke to Carmen?" I asked, impressed.

"She faxed over records last night," he said simply. "You didn't notice? It was on _your _fax machine."

"Records of what?" demanded Bella suddenly, sitting up as she looked between Marcus and myself, panicked.

"Nothing specific," he soothed. "Carmen can't betray your trust."

She relaxed significantly, and I frowned. That poor child had too many secrets.

"What did she say?" she hedged.

"Just that it was in your best interest to avoid undue stress and unneeded questioning," he said. "Carmen says that your progress might be hindered if Danielle goes over the line to benefit her case."

"Oh."

"Danielle Ford is an agent first, social worker second," he said. "She might be on our side, but she'll do whatever she can to get information out of you. You're the best witness they have."

"Why me?" she asked, posing the same question that had been floating around my head for the past three months.

Why her?

"Because you're the only one who doesn't have a debilitating mental illness," he said. "The rest of the surviving witnesses are either severely bipolar, schizophrenic or suffering from severe personality disorders. Anxiety, which is what you've been diagnosed with, wouldn't affect your perception of reality."

"Oh."

"It just means that the rest of Dupont's patients are too far gone to understand what the questions would mean," I said. "You're the one witness who's still lucid enough to explain your situation."

She shivered.

"Don't worry about it," said Marcus easily. "If you don't want to testify, you don't have to."

"Okay," she said softly, resting her head back down on her brother. Marcus took great interest in watching the nephew he knew as boisterous, crass and rough interact so gently with his sister. His large hand entwined in her hair as he smoothed it in a soothing motion, reminding me of something a father might do to soothe his child.

Emmett's protective side definitely came out when Bella was around.

"Jake?" called Bella suddenly, making Marcus stiffen as he listened.

Marcus and Jake didn't get along.

As quickly as Bella had decided to call him, Jake was in the room, haughty and proud as ever.

"Come here," she said, holding out her hand to him as she kept her eyes closed. Jake placed his head directly under her outstretched hand, demanding a pat.

"Good boy," she said. "Lay down."

He obeyed, and Marcus stared, incredulous.

Emmett smirked at him.

"Boo's managed to tame that thing," he said idly. "He listens to her."

"So I see," said Marcus, amused.

"Hello?" called Esme's gentle voice from the doorway, effectively grabbing everyone's attention.

If Esme was home, Danielle would be here soon.

"In the sitting room," I called back, standing with my hand resting on the back of Bella's sofa. Esme came in with a single grocery bag, looking hopeful.

"How's everything?" she asked, glancing down at sleepy Bella.

"Good," I said. "Let me take that."

She handed me the grocery bag and followed me into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" she asked, knowing immediately that something was off. Esme was impeccable with her senses, knowing exactly when something was off.

"Nothing too bad," I lied. "Bella's feet are swollen."

"What?"

"It's a side effect of her heart medication," I said. "She's retaining fluids."

"Like in pregnancy?" she asked, confused.

"Sort of," I said. "Same principle, different cause."

"Why is that bad?" she asked.

I sighed.

"It's either a side effect of heart issues or the medication treating her heart issues." She stared at me.

"That's a stupid side effect," she said bluntly. "How do we know which one?"

"I'm calling Eleazar after this meeting," I said easily. "He'll prioritize her and we'll be in Seattle by late today or early tomorrow."

"Alright," she said dubiously. "Is she sick?"

"Nothing too worrisome," I said, determined to keep my wife from any new stressors. "She's just nervous for this meeting."

"And she's scared of Marcus," she said wryly. "I saw her last night…"

True, Bella had been painfully shy with Marcus last night when he'd gotten in from his flight to Florida.

"She'll warm up to him," I said confidently.

"Let's go to the sitting room," said Esme tiredly. "We'll get this meeting over with."

"Of course, dear," I said, following my wife back to the sitting room, where Emmett and Edward appeared to have smoothed over their disagreement from earlier this morning. The two boys and Bella were engaged in conversation while Marcus read through papers, his glasses perched carefully on his nose.

The clock read 11:20- ten minutes until Danielle was expected to arrive.

"Are you ready?" I asked, looking at Marcus. He glanced up from his papers and smirked at me.

"When am I not ready, Carlisle?" he asked arrogantly, smiling teasingly. I just smiled and shook my head, taking a seat in the armchair facing the doorway.

Danielle and her partner could have the loveseat, I decided. Esme sat herself down next to Marcus, glancing at the papers.

"Legal shit," he said nonchalantly. Esme gave him the stink eye and I saw him struggle not to roll his own eyes.

"Legal _stuff,"_ he corrected, dragging out the "stuff" to irritate her further.

"Watch your mouth," she scolded, swatting his head with her open hand. He cringed as it made contact and she waved her finger in his face, determined to eliminate any and all crude language in her home.

Emmett just laughed at him.

"This document says that-" he began, right before he cut off and turned to look out the window.

"They're here," he said, suddenly turning very professional. Bella sat up on her seat, stiff as a board and very unhappy. I glanced out the window and saw the familiar woman getting out of her car, her own briefcase in hand, while another man tagged along.

"She's brought her own attorney," he said. "That's Santiago Valentio."

"Great," I said dryly. "Out-lawyer him."

Marcus smirked as he fixed his tie and adjusted his papers while a knock sounded on the door.

"I'll be right back," I said, rising from my place to let our houseguests inside. When I opened the door, I came face to face with Miss Danielle Ford, special agent extraordinaire.

"Good morning," I said amicably.

"Hello Doctor Cullen," she said briskly. "This is Santiago Valentio, the attorney representing my party."

"Mr. Valentio," I said curtly. "Come in. Bella's in the sitting room."

"Great," said Danielle, her lawyer giving her more confidence than she'd had before. She and Mr. Valentio followed me to the sitting room, taking their place in the loveseat while I sat down in my chair.

"I didn't think we'd have so many people with us," said Danielle, her sugary tone barely concealing her condescension. Her eyes were glued to Emmett and Edward, both of whom looked defensive and unhappy.

"Bella asked us to be here," said Emmett roughly. "We obliged."

"Great," she said. "It's great to see you again."

"Sure," said Emmett, earning him a stern glare from his mother.

"Don't you be rude," she reprimanded. He simply looked away and took his sister's hand, holding it firmly in his own.

"This is my youngest son, Edward," I introduced, gesturing to my tense son on the sofa, "and this is Marcus Cullen, our attorney."

"Cullen?" asked Danielle distastefully.

"My father's brother," I said.

"I own the law firm in Seattle with my namesake," Marcus cut in. "Carlisle asked me here as a favour."

"So I see," said Danielle distastefully, obviously having ignored the business card I'd handed her last time she was here.

"Can we get started?" asked Bella suddenly, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

"Sure thing, sweetheart," said Danielle, smiling sweetly. "You got the list of questions?"

"Yes," said Marcus. "Carlisle's approved all but number 6."

"Why?" asked Santiago suddenly, turning to me.

"We've been through this," I said frustratedly. "I won't let you badger her."

"It's hardly badgering, Doctor Cullen," protested Santiago. "It's merely a question about what went on in Dupont's facility and the consequences thereof."

"It bothers Bella," I said simply. Santiago shrugged and looked at Bella with a cold, calculating stare.

"Our goal is not to make her comfortable," he reasoned. "Our goal is to get the facts."

"Actually, Valentio," said Marcus quickly. "We have sufficient medical evidence to prove that upsetting Bella is both unhelpful and detrimental."

Santiago held his hand out for the papers, flicking through them.

"We'll omit the sixth question," he said finally.

"What?" yelped Danielle.

"Don't push it," warned Santiago.

Danielle looked very displeased.

"That's all?" she asked.

"For now," I said. "If you need to ask any other questions, we reserve the right not to answer."

"Now, be reasonable," she began, looking thoroughly frustrated. "Some issues _need _to be addressed-"

"That's not the condition," I reminded her. "This interview is going to play right into Bella's best interests, and if you choose not to follow the rules, I'll have you leave."

She just stared at me before looking to her lawyer for support.

"It's his house," he shrugged. "We're here in invitation only, not a legal warrant."

"Not for a lack of trying," she snarled. "Trust me, if I could get the judge to sign a warrant, I would-"

"Just start the questions," sighed Santiago, looking quite displeased.

Danielle reached into her pocket and procured her tape recorder again, setting it on the table. She pressed the record button and Bella flinched.

"Good morning, Bella," she said gently. "How've you been?"

"Fine."

I felt a pang of sympathy for this poor girl being quizzed again by a woman she wasn't comfortable with.

"That's good," she said. "Let's begin."

"Okay."

Emmett glared at Danielle icily, not liking this woman one bit.

"Who is James Dupont?" she asked.

"The Doctor," said Bella promptly.

"Which doctor?"

"The mean one," she said. "He hurt."

"Alright, what's the first memory you have of James Dupont?"

Bella hesitated, looking at me for an answer.

"Answer however you want, honey," said Marcus suddenly. "Whatever you want to tell."

Bella nodded, glancing at him instead of me.

"I remember being in the eating room," she said. "We were eating lunch."

"What happened during that lunch time?"

"I don't know," she said. "We ate."

"Where was James during all this?"

"Watching," Bella said. "He was always watching."

"Do you remember why he was watching?"

"Because I was hungry, and he wanted to see how fast I ate."

"Do you know why?"

"No, and stop asking why," she snapped, looking irritated.

"Alright," said Danielle, moving along. "When's the first time you remember James Dupont hurting you?"

Bella looked at Marcus again, who nodded in encouragement.

"When I didn't want to eat," she muttered. "I wasn't hungry and it made him mad."

"What happened then?"

"Stuff," she said, avoiding the subject.

"What sort of stuff?"

"He made me eat," she remembered. "He zapped and made me eat cereal, and I hated it."

"Why didn't you like it?"

"Because he made me eat it and I don't like milk," she said, closing her eyes once more as she rested against Emmett.

"When's the first time James Dupont prescribed you medication?" asked Danielle, leaning forward eagerly.

"I don't remember," said Bella softly. "He did that a lot."

"Think back," said Danielle. "Think back to the first time you ever took something he gave you."

"I don't want to," she said simply. "I don't remember."

"Try."

"I don't remember."

"Think, Isabella," she instructed. "Think-"

"I said I don't know," she said sadly. "I don't remember-"

"_Try _to remember-"

"Enough," I cut in, making Danielle scowl at me as she turned to another question.

"Tell me about some of the medication you _do _remember," she said.

"Needle medicine, pill medicine, patch medicine, cream-"

"Slow down, honey," she said. "Explain them."

"I'm not a doctor," Bella protested. "I was just little and I don't know what they're for."

Bella took a deep breath.

"Try as hard as you can. Tell me what each one made you feel like."

"Needles stung, some made me tired, some made me bouncy, some put me right to sleep, some made me see things on the floor and walls, some made me cry and some made me laugh…" she said, shrugging.

"Which ones made you see things?"

"Needle medicine," she said. "And the pills and powders and patches and sometimes the creams-"

"Powders?" asked Danielle.

"He put them on a mask and I breathed them," said Bella. "I think it was cocaine."

I froze, looking over at the fragile girl on the sofa who knew the implications of cocaine.

"Why would you think that?" asked Danielle.

"I found a book in Carlisle's study," she admitted, looking over at me guiltily. "It was all about medicines, and I read a bit of the cocaine part."

"Which book?"

"I don't know…" she said, looking at me. "You told me to pick whatever I wanted."

She thought she was in trouble.

"I did say that," I said. "I'm assuming it was one of my pharmacology books from medical school. I have many."

"Of course you do," said Danielle distastefully. "How did you know enough to read those textbooks?"

"I didn't," said Bella promptly. "I read some words alone and then I asked Carlisle what the rest meant."

"What words didn't you know?" she asked. Bella frowned, not liking her uneducated intellect being called out.

"A lot," she admitted grudgingly. "Most of the medical and science words."

"Why didn't you know what those meant?" asked Danielle. Bella stared at her like she had sprouted a second head.

"Because I don't read well," she said slowly, as if speaking to an invalid. I saw Emmett resisting a smirk as Bella sassed Danielle right back.

"Why?"

"Stop asking why!" said Bella angrily. "I don't know!"

"Were you ever in school?"

"No."

"Did James Dupont teach you anything?"

"No."

"Are you lying?" she asked, unhappy. Bella flushed red with indignation.

"What do you think he taught me?" she challenged. "All he taught me was that he hurt."

She took a deep breath, looking very small and tired.

"Are you alright?" asked Danielle, obviously making the same observations I was.

"Yes," she said curtly, taking another deep breath.

"Can we change topics, Isabella?" asked Danielle.

"I guess so," hedged Bella warily.

"Can you show me your arms?" she asked. "Just for evidence."

"The tape recorder can't see my arms," she said defensively. "No."

"I'll take pictures," said Danielle. "They're necessary."

"The other lady has pictures," said Bella, remembering when Denise Loren had come to the house with her questions and camera.

"I know, but what's a few more?" she said.

"I don't want to show you," she muttered, embarrassed.

"Isabella, it's very important-"

"She said no."

"Excuse me, but who are you to butt in?" Danielle asked Edward, who looked absolutely murderous.

"Bella said no," he repeated. "I do believe that pushing the matter falls into the category of 'badgering'?" He looked at Marcus for support.

"It does," he said, shaking his head. "If Bella's right and photos have already been taken, I see no need for more."

Danielle looked very sour indeed as she looked at Santiago.

He ignored her and continued reading the legal documents Marcus had passed him.

"Can you tell me about the other man who hurt you? Felix?" she asked.

Bella stiffened and Emmett watched worriedly.

"No."

"What was Felix responsible for?" she asked. "What did he do to you?"

"I said no," said Bella, her voice breathy. I recognized the beginnings of her panic, and I instantly rebuked myself for leaving her Ativan upstairs.

"It's a valid, approved question," said Danielle easily, glancing triumphantly at me.

I'd assumed she'd approach the subject delicately, not so abruptly.

"Be sensitive," said Esme crossly. "You're upsetting her."

"Mrs. Cullen, with all due respect," started Danielle, "I really don't care."

Emmett let out a growl-like noise and Edward's head snapped up as Esme gasped.

"Excuse me?" I demanded.

"What did he do, Isabella?" asked Danielle again. "What happened?"

"Stop it," she said. "I don't want to-"

"Are you withholding information?" she demanded. "Do you want to have to show up in court?"

Bella curled in on herself as Emmett rubbed her back, calming her.

"I'm going to have to ask you to-" began Marcus, right before he was cut off.

"What did Felix Franconelli do?" she demanded. "Did he hurt you?"

"Stop it!" cried Bella. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!"

I rose from my chair, ready to throttle this woman before Marcus shot me a meaningful glance.

"Stop badgering," I snarled.

I was ignored.

"What happened, Isabella? Did Victoria help him?" she demanded.

"Danielle, sit down-"

"Shut up, Santiago," she spat. "I'm tired of this bullshit. Answer the damn question."

Bella let out a small cry into the arm of the couch as Danielle's rude questioning assaulted her.

"No."

"I'm going to grab an Ativan," I spat. "You stop this right now before I kick you out."

"If you kick me out this time, she'll be summoned down to Arizona to testify in front of the jury," said Danielle simply. "You put up with me now, or you put up with me during weeks of court in Phoenix."

"Which do you want, Bella?" I asked, as gently as I could. "Now or in Phoenix?"

"I don't want to go back there!" she cried tearfully. "I'll answer her, just don't make me go!"

I turned on my heel, hating myself for subjecting Bella to this as I stalked up the steps to retrieve an Ativan.

Danielle's questioning resumed as I jogged up the steps to the third floor, on my way to Bella's bathroom where I knew she kept her medication. I could hear Bella's frantic, tearful response as I ascended, determined to stop this panic before it escalated.

Damn Danielle and her foolish questioning.

As I moved towards her bathroom, I was astonished to hear the chaos downstairs grow even louder, my wife's voice added to the mix. I quickly moved around the bathroom, opening drawers and cabinets to find what I was looking for.

Where had she put them?

"Get out of my house!" shrieked Esme. "Get out right now!"

I straightened up, torn between Ativan and assisting my wife in her face off with the agent…

…Esme could handle herself. Bella could not.

I kept looking.

"Santiago!" cried Danielle. Marcus' voice was added to the din as he gently tried to calm the group down, his deep bass unable to resonate clearly up the steps.

"Esme…" cried Bella, making my heart break as the girl cried out for the only maternal comfort she'd ever really known.

I finally found the small bottle of pills under the washcloths in Bella's drawer. I shoved them in my pocket and dashed out, determined to solve this problem in my sitting room.

"Dad?" called a soft voice from the second floor, making me sigh as I turned towards Jasper's bedroom. I knew the other three kids were convened together in there, all able to hear the chaos this meeting had turned into.

"What is it, Alice?" I called, opening the door. Alice stood behind it, tearful and tense as my other two solemn children observed from the bed.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Is Bella okay?"

"Danielle's being particularly difficult," I admitted. "I went to grab Ativan."

The din downstairs rose up again and Alice jumped in shock as she glanced down.

"Carlisle!" cried Esme, frantic and frankly, scared.

"Stay here," I barked, closing the door on Alice's confused, tearful face before I dashed down the stairs, not liking the sudden silence.

"Carlisle!" she shrieked again, her voice even more frantic as I reached the sitting room.

Everyone besides my wife, special agent included, was on their feet, staring at the small, motionless form beside Esme.

"Carlisle come quick!" she called out again, her hands flitting nervously over the still girl on the floor. "Come here!"

I was at her side in a moment, gently moving her out of my way. Bella's eyes were closed, her body limp and unknowing as the clamour rose again.

"How dare you!" boomed Emmett, looking ready to kill Danielle and Santiago. "You'd better hope she's okay, or I swear to _God-"_ he threatened.

"Emmett!" barked Marcus sternly. Esme shouted her own expletives at our unwelcome houseguests as I focused on straightening Bella out so I could check her over.

I'd kill this woman myself if this was anything more than simple syncope.

"Bella?" I asked, tapping her cheek as I reached for her wrist. "Wake up, honey."

We were definitely getting in to see Eleazar now.

"Bella?"

Nothing.

My fingers groped around her wrist, frantic in their effort to find the pulse point. I moved my fingers around for a few seconds before I felt a sickening jolt of panic, moving to her neck instead.

"Come on," I groaned, ignoring the hollering above me.

"Get out of my house, you hateful bitch!" shrieked Esme. "Get out!"

"Bella!" I called, my voice inaudible to the shouting crowd above me.

Nothing.

No palpable pulse point, no awareness…

…no breathing.

"Hey!" I shouted, my voice louder than any other. "Call 911!"

Marcus wasted no time, kneeling down next to me with his cell phone in hand.

"What wrong?" he asked.

"She's not breathing," I said frantically, tilting her head up and blocking her nose. "Call an ambulance and tell them she's not breathing and we can't find a pulse."

He paled, his fingers pressing the buttons on his Blackberry.

"Come on, Bella," I said frantically.

Nothing.

I forced a breath into her body, watching her chest rise and fall with the intake of oxygen.

"What the fuck?" shouted Emmett, finally spotting me. "What the hell are you doing?"

My hands automatically found her sternum, the heel resting on the bone. As if it were second nature to me, I pressed down on her chest.

"Oh fuck…" said Emmett, suddenly tearful as he took in the scene before him. Esme hollered more derogatory words as I compressed her chest, determined for her pulse to return.

"I don't know," said Marcus, flustered. "She passed out and now she's not breathing."

"Fuck!" shouted Emmett, finally reaching the panic stage. "Fuck, dad, do something!"

"I'm trying," I said angrily, compressing her chest before I forced another breath of air into her.

"Esme!" cried Emmett, frantic, as Esme turned tearfully and surveyed the scene before her.

"About seven minutes, Carlisle," said Marcus quietly, resting his hand on my shoulder.

I compressed again, and felt my energy drain as I heard a terrified shriek from the stairs.

"Oh shit," said Jasper, sombre and alarmed. "Alice, come here-"

"Bella!" she cried, shoving her way through.

"Stay back," I warned. She cried loudly as Emmett came to collect her, forcing her away from their critically ill sister.

Edward watched the entire scenario with wide, tearful eyes.

Seven minutes had never seemed so long in my life as I ignored the chaos around me and focused all my energy and attention on forcing life back into the girl on my floor.

"Goddamn it, where is that bitch!" hollered Emmett. "Fuck her and her goddamn lawyer-"

"She's gone," said Marcus to Emmett before returning his attention to the phone. "No, not Isabella, the agent from Arizona," he said curtly, annoyed with the dispatcher's assumption. "No, she's still not breathing."

Alice wailed loudly, her knees crumpling under her as she held onto Jasper.

A few seconds and two breaths later, sirens were heard in the distance.

"Someone go open the door for them," I instructed, pointing them out of the sitting room. I saw Rosalie dart out, pale as a ghost to hold the door open for the paramedics.

The sirens grew closer.

_Breathe, dammit._

I pressed down on her chest and forced my own air into her lungs methodically for one more cycle before the sirens were heard right outside my house. I heard Rosalie directing the paramedics into the sitting room before I stepped aside, letting the three uniformed men do their job.

We all watched as they worked over her, barking orders and procuring equipment. My rescue breathing was replaced with a bag and mask, my hands replaced with those of the paramedic. The men used scissors to remove her top, leaving her naked from the waist up as they applied adhesive pads to her chest.

They waited for the machine's orders.

"Shock recommended," said the cool female voice through the speakers.

"Clear," said the head medic, forcing his men and Bella's air source away from her. He pressed the green button, sending a jolt of electricity to her heart.

"Shock recommended."

Zap.

"Shock recommended."

Zap.

"Heart rhythm detected."

Esme fell to the sofa, crying as the men took Bella's pulse, loading her onto a gurney I hadn't noticed before. They strapped her in and said a quick goodbye, telling us where she was being brought.

Of course she was going to Forks Memorial. Where else could she go?

The door closed behind them and we saw the doors to the ambulance closed, right before silence and order was restored.

...for a moment.

"What happened?"

"Is she okay?"

"Let's go."

"I'll kill that bitch!"

"Carlisle, we need to go."

"Holy shit."

"Carlisle, let's _go!"_

"Anyone who wants to come, get your stuff," I said gravely, my voice oddly gravely and hoarse.

Everyone in the house rushed to grab their things, throwing on shoes and coats.

"Dad, what happened?" asked Rosalie softly, letting the others through first. Jasper appeared next to us as well, listening closely.

"I have no idea," I said, shaking my head. "It was too much for her."

"No fucking shit," snarled Emmett, throwing on his shoes with violent vigour. "She'd better be okay…"

"Oh Emmett, don't!" cried Alice shrilly. "Please don't…"

"Come here, Ali," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

Alice cried as her brother tried to soothe her, failing miserably.

"Come on," I said. "We need to go."

Esme grabbed my hand in a death grip before she led us out to the cars, the two of us taking Jasper and Alice with us.

Edward, Emmett and Rosalie hopped into Emmett's Jeep, letting Edward drive. Emmett was in no condition to be operating a motor vehicle. I watched as they followed us out of the driveway, down the long path and onto the two lane highway down the middle of Forks.

As I suspected there would be, people were peeking out their windows in awe at the sight of an ambulance with lights and sirens blaring. Emergencies in Forks were rare…

…and it didn't help that everyone knew we were the only people who lived that far outside the city limits.

Alice was still distraught in the backseat as Jasper tried to calm her.

"Relax, Alice," I said gently, speaking the same words I'd spoken to her little sister just this morning.

"Oh god, dad!" she cried, panicking again. "She needs to be okay!"

I didn't answer and neither did my tearful wife as we pulled into the parking lot, letting Emmett park in the spot designated to the rarely-seen anaesthesiologist of Forks.

"Into the ER, and let me talk," I instructed, once all my children were within earshot.

Well, all besides one.

"Fine," agreed Emmett, nearly sprinting towards the doors. I followed at a brisk walk, leaving Esme to collect any straggling teens before I found Emmett standing impatiently in the ER, eying the triage nurse agitatedly.

"She's in trauma 1," said Jennifer Crowley, glancing at my son. "Doctor Snow's with her."

"Thank you," I said, knowing very well that I wasn't permitted inside.

Hospital rules prevented me from working on family.

"You can take everyone to the quiet room, if you'd like," she offered softly.

I cringed, knowing that the quiet room was where we broke the toughest news to families… I wouldn't let Bella die.

"Thanks Jen," I said softly, taking my wife's hand to bring her along. The other kids followed as I moved towards the closed doors of a new hallway, leading us in the opposite direction from trauma 1. I opened the door and let my family inside, watching as they dispersed themselves on various pieces of furniture around the room.

"What happens now?" asked Emmett shakily. "Where's Boo?"

"She's with a team in one of the trauma rooms," I stated. "We wait here until they're done with her and we get some news."

"What news?" yelped Emmett.

"We don't know yet," I reminded him patiently. "We need to wait and see what Gordon has to say."

"Who the hell's Gordon?" he spat angrily.

"Doctor Snow," I corrected. "We need to wait for him to finish with her."

"What happens now?" asked Edward quietly. "Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know," I said. "We need to find out what happened."

"Her heart stopped, that's what happened," said Emmett tartly.

"Shut your goddamn mouth!" hollered Jasper suddenly, his irate gaze turned towards Emmett's raging form.

"Excuse me?" he boomed. "Fuck you!"

"Look at her!" shouted Jasper. "Shut your fucking mouth!"

Six pairs of eyes shifted down to Jasper's lap, where Alice was laying.

The poor girl was hysterical, her fists holding onto Jasper's pant legs like her life- or rather _Bella's_ life- depended on it. Emmett merely shifted his tearful gaze to the speckled carpet, sitting back down in his seat without a word. Esme, ever the pacifist, moved over to Jasper and Alice's sofa, sitting down beside them. I watched as Esme whispered soothing words to Alice before she pulled her up into a hug.

"She'll pull through," said Esme, nodding softly.

"You don't know that," mourned Alice, crying. "You don't know…"

Esme fell silent, struggling to contain her own emotion as we waited in tense silence.

ooOoo

The clock on the wall ticked for a solid hour before anything else was heard.

"Carlisle?" came Gordon Snow's voice from outside the door, right before he knocked softly. The door opened and my co-worker came inside, face sombre and tired.

"Have a seat," he told me, making me frown as I remained standing.

"What happened?" I asked wearily. "Where is she?"

"I'll get there," he said. "Sit down."

I tossed myself down on a wooden chair, trying my very hardest not to be condescending. He smiled sadly, beginning the tale.

"The medics brought her in," he informed me. "She coded at home?"

"Yes," I said. "They shocked her back."

Alice whimpered.

"She coded once more in the ambulance on the way and two more times in the trauma room," he said sadly. "We tried to stabilize her, but it wasn't very easy to do."

"Where is she now?" I asked.

I'm pretty sure I already knew the answer.

"The chopper from Port Angeles got here not five minutes ago and she's being airlifted to Seattle," he said.

"Was she stable when you sent her out?" I asked, fearful.

"As stable as we could get her, Carlisle, you know how it works," he said softly. "She was code-free for thirty minutes before the chopper got here. We have two registered nurses and two flight paramedics on board with her, making sure she's okay."

"Thank you," I said courteously, nodding as we all took in the news.

"I'm very sorry, Carlisle," he said softly. "Let me know if I can take any of your shifts ."

"That would be great," I said, jumping on the chance.

"Don't worry about it," he said easily. "I'll fix your schedule for the next few weeks."

"I'll take some of it as vacation," I said wearily, "but right now, I've got to get to Seattle."

"Of course," he said, glancing around at my wife and children.

"Bye, Gordon," I said softly. "Let's go."

Emmett led the way out of the room and I watched as my family filed out one by one. Gordon watched as well, his face downcast as he looked up at me.

"The chopper's taking her to Seattle Children's Hospital," he informed me. "Denali's on call there."

"Thanks Gordon."

Gordon Snow shot me a peculiar glance before he gently reached out and patted my shoulder.

"Good luck."

**A/N: Review!**


	32. Chapter 31

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 31**

EsPOV

"Who's driving?" asked Carlisle stiffly, grabbing the keys out of his pocket. "Emmett?"

Emmett snatched his keys angrily from Edward's outstretched hand, earning him a stern look from his father.

"Are you okay to drive on the interstate?" he asked dubiously.

"I'm fine, dad, let's just go."

"Fine," said Carlisle easily. "Esme?"

"I'll go with you," I said. "Come on, Alice."

I wanted her close to me while she was so upset, and naturally, Jasper followed right behind her, helping her into the back seat of Carlisle's Mercedes.

"Are you three alright to go?" asked Carlisle gently. Emmett nodded curtly and jumped into his Jeep, leaving Edward to take the back as Rosalie took the front.

"She's at Seattle Children's," he called, earning him a jerky nod from Emmett as his Jeep rumbled to life. He tore out of the parking lot and onto the highway, turning towards the freeway. I sighed and moved to the passenger side of the car, sliding into my seat as Alice and Jasper buckled up. Carlisle started the car and followed Emmett, driving towards the freeway at a quick rate, ignoring traffic laws.

"Don't, Ali," said Jasper sadly, unbuckling his belt to slide into the center seat. "Please don't…"

Jasper hated it when his loved ones were upset.

"I have to," she whispered. "How can I not?"

"Don't cry," he murmured.

I smiled softly at his tenderness.

"What if she…" said Alice, trailing off sadly. "I _need_ her."

Jasper sighed and nodded, wrapping his arm around her to draw her closer.

"I know you do," he said. "She'll pull through."

"We don't know that!" she groaned, frustrated. "We don't know if she'll be okay…"

"Eleazar is a world-renowned cardiologist," said Carlisle gently. "The hospital is obligated to inform him that she's being transferred to Seattle Children's, and because he has patients there, he'll be there when she lands. I trust Eleazar."

Alice just cried, not even trying to get a hold of herself.

"What the hell happened in there?" asked Jasper softly, looking rightfully angry.

Carlisle glanced at me as well, knowing full well he was out of the room when it happened.

"It was so fast," I sighed. "I'm not even completely sure."

"Try," said Carlisle softly. "Not only do I want to know, but Eleazar might as well."

"Well," I began, "you left to go grab her Ativan and she sort of panicked," I admitted. "At least, I think she panicked. Se was very short of breath."

"Panic or her heart," said Carlisle softly. "It could have been either."

"Well, whichever it was," I said, "it made her worse. She tried to make that woman stop, but she just wouldn't let it go. She called out for me and Emmett helped her up."

"Did Danielle corner her?" demanded Carlisle angrily.

"Sort of," I admitted. "She wouldn't let her through, and Emmett forced her out of the way. Bella tried to go by her to get to me and Danielle forced her back before she collapsed."

"She touched her?" he confirmed.

"Yes."

"Did Marcus see it happen?"

"I'm sure he did," I said easily. "He was right next to me."

"Where is Uncle M?" asked Jasper suddenly.

"At home, I assume," said Carlisle. "I'll call him with information once were in Seattle and we know what's going on."

"What'll happen to her?" asked Alice hoarsely. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know either of those answers, Alice," said Carlisle sadly. "She's obviously in much worse shape than we hoped."

"Do you think Eleazar can fix her?" she asked.

"I don't know, honey," said Carlisle softly. "Let's just focus on getting to Seattle and then we can get our answers."

"Okay," she said shakily, leaning on Jasper once more. I reached down into my purse and procured some tissues, passing them back to Alice.

"Thanks mom," she said softly, dabbing her eyes. I watched in the rear-view mirror as she pulled out a small mirror of her own, determined to wipe away any mascara residue.

"Here," said Jasper, taking the tissues from her. I watched with gentle admiration as he took the task on himself, wiping any streaks of makeup from Alice's cheeks.

"Thanks," she mumbled, leaning down against him once more. He stuffed the tissues in the small compartment on the passenger side door before he wrapped his arm around her, sighing heavily. His head fell back against the black leather, looking thoroughly troubled.

Alice's eyes, against her better judgment, drifted closed, and I knew she'd fallen asleep. Once Jasper was sure she was fully asleep, he turned his angry attention to us.

"That woman had better pray to God Bella's okay," he growled.

Carlisle remained silent, his brows pulled together in a frown.

"It'll crush her if she's not," he said, glancing down at Alice. "She's waited too long for Bella to come back to have Danielle take her away again."

"I know," I said gently.

"She'll definitely be hearing from Marcus," said Carlisle sternly. "I'm pressing charges against that woman."

I smiled briefly, grimly satisfied.

Danielle wouldn't know what hit her once Marcus was on her back.

"What happens then?" asked Jasper.

"She'll most likely lose her position with the FBI, and they'll revoke her license as a social worker," he said simply. "She'll be lucky to get a job with the Forks PD once Marcus is done with her."

Jasper nodded, satisfied for the time being.

"How long does it take for the helicopter to get from Forks to Seattle?" asked Jasper.

"One hour, maximum," said Carlisle. "She'll be landing in about thirty minutes."

"How long until we get there?"

"Two hours," said Carlisle softly. "We're already breaking the speed limit…"

"I know," he said quickly. "I don't mean to imply we're going slow."

"We'll get there," said Carlisle gently. I reached over the armrest and took his hand in mine, squeezing affectionately. "Eleazar will let us see her before they do anything drastic."

"Drastic?" asked Jasper fearfully. "What kind of drastic?"

Carlisle remained silent, his eyes glued to the road in front of us.

ooOoo

Seattle had never been so far away as it was now… no matter how many times I'd driven up there to meet with a client or discuss new design ideas with my fellow designers, it had always seemed like such a short drive.

By the time Carlisle had pulled into the parking lot of Seattle Children's Hospital, I'd been ready to pull my hair out by the roots. Alice had woken up not five minutes before, groggy and confused until reality set in once more, and she succumbed to more tears.

The poor girl was beyond consolation.

"There's Emmett," said Carlisle suddenly, driving over to where Emmett, Rosalie and Edward were standing in the empty spot beside them, holding the spot with a paid-for parking voucher in hand. Carlisle pulled in and took the proof of payment from Emmett, setting it on his dash for the parking officer to see.

"Come on inside," he said, glancing up at the rainy sky. "We'll find Eleazar." Alice, still sniffling and trying her best to staunch her tears, let Emmett take her hand in apology to lead her towards the sliding glass doors.

I knew he was sorry for being insensitive in the quiet room of Forks Memorial.

Our entire group followed Carlisle like a procession line as he led us towards the staircase, loping up easily. We all followed him as he skipped steps to get up faster, reaching the fourth floor before too long.

"Come on," he said impatiently, his anxiety finally showing through. Emmett and Alice were at the front of the line with Edward and myself following close behind, Jasper and Rosalie taking up the tail. Carlisle, ever confident and sure, led us right through a pair of doors towards a nurse's desk.

"Can I help you?" asked the little lady carefully, her greying hair glinting under the white fluorescents.

"I'm looking for Eleazar Denali?" he asked easily.

"He's with a patient right now," she said sadly. "We got an airlift in from Forks about two hours ago, but he'll be with you as soon as he's finished there. Did you have an appointment?"

"No," said Carlisle quickly. "That girl brought in from Forks is my daughter, and I'd like to see Eleazar."

The woman looked taken aback before she glanced over at the rest of us, her green gaze sympathetic.

"Of course," she said. "One moment." She grabbed her telephone and dialled a series of numbers and extensions, finally getting through to where she needed to be.

"Carrie, put Doctor D on the line please," she said. "I have the family down here." The woman listened for a long moment before she sighed and hung up.

"Your daughter's not on this floor," she explained gently, procuring a hospital map from under her desk. "You're on the cardiac care floor, and Doctor D's with her in the cardiac ICU." I felt my own heart clench as she took her pen and outlined the quickest route to the new ward.

"Take this elevator up to the eighth floor then take a right," she directed. "You'll see arrows pointing you towards Doctor D's office towards the left, but go the other way. You'll find him here."

Her pen circled a hallway labelled "8F".

"She's in room 805," she said.

"Thank you very much," said Carlisle, smiling stiffly at the kindly nurse. He jerked his head as I gave her a sincere thank you as well, knowing she'd helped immensely.

Carlisle, this time, decided that the elevator would be the easiest way up, and instead of dragging us up eight more flights of stairs, he settled for the elevator. All seven of us piled inside, Carlisle's finger jamming the 8 button more times than necessary as he jittered impatiently.

He was very, very worried and when the elevator finally dinged and the doors opened on the eighth floor, leaving us to travel in the direction the nurse had pointed out. When we crossed the doors labelled 8F, I immediately began scanning the doors for number 805.

"Carlisle," said a voice, one I knew belonged to Eleazar Denali. "Esme."

I glanced up from my number searching, finding mine and Carlisle's old comrade waiting at the nurse's station.

"Come with me."

All seven Cullens traipsed blindly after him and much to our dismay, we weren't led into Bella's room, but rather into a room much like the Forks Memorial quiet room.

My stomach clenched unpleasantly as we all perched stiffly on chairs and sofas.

"Hello Eleazar," I said, breaking the silence quietly. Eleazar offered me a gentle smile before he sighed, returning to business.

"I'm assuming you know what happened in Forks?" he asked. "Doctor Snow updated you?"

"She coded four times, once in our living room, once in the ambulance and twice in the ER," said Carlisle easily. "Once they deemed her relatively stable, they lifted her out here."

"Right," said Eleazar uncomfortably.

He wasn't used to dealing with patients whose families he was good friends with.

"She's very unstable right now," said Eleazar sadly. "She coded once more in the air, just as they were landing."

"Did you get her back?" asked Carlisle, speaking words no one else wanted to voice.

"Yes," he admitted, "though it took a while. She's in very rough shape."

"Where is she now?" he asked.

"In room 805 with two registered nurses and a resident," he admitted. "Once we're done here I'll take you down to see her."

"What have you done so far?" asked Carlisle. I caught Alice's gaze and saw her watching Eleazar with a terrified look plastered on her face.

"We did the x-ray and the echo," he said softly. "Both tests showed significant signs of advanced cardiomyopathy."

Carlisle sighed, closing his eyes tightly as the rest of us looked on in confusion.

"Is it confirmed?"

"I did a biopsy," he admitted. "Dilated cardiomyopathy leading to CHF."

"God," groaned Carlisle, his face grim.

My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for elaboration.

"Dilated cardiomyopathy is enlargement of the heart," explained Eleazar. "The causes vary from genetics to toxins, though in her case, I suspect toxins played a huge role."

Alice cried softly, letting Emmett rub her back as he watched Eleazar helplessly.

"CHF stands for congestive heart failure," he said finally, and my stomach dropped like a stone.

Heart failure…

…she wasn't even seventeen.

"Normally, the symptoms are obvious," he continued. "Swollen abdomen, swollen feet, tiredness, shortness of breath… most of these symptoms we attributed to her anxiety."

Emmett let out a sad sound and Rosalie patted his back gently, looking very upset herself.

"Are the feet new?" he asked, glancing at Carlisle. "I didn't notice it last time I saw her."

"She said this morning that it started last week," he said. "She said it happens all the time."

"She never told you?" he asked sadly.

"No," said Carlisle. "She thought it was normal."

Eleazar let out a sad sigh.

"Sometimes heart failure comes on slowly," he said. "It's the most common presentation. In middle-aged to older people, we see the symptoms slowly crop up, but in Bella's case, it all went to hell pretty quickly."

"Why?" asked Emmett, finally speaking.

"Her arrhythmia," he said simply. "She has a ventricular arrhythmia, and stress hormones can cause it to run out of control."

"Fucking Danielle," spat Emmett angrily, knowing full well that it was the social worker's fault his sister had lost her heartbeat so many times today.

She was lucky to be alive at all.

"When she was brought to us," continued Eleazar, "she was showing significant signs of heart failure. Her feet were still swollen, her abdomen was swollen, she had distended jugular veins, she was constantly coding and she wasn't breathing on her own."

"Is she going to be okay?" blurted Alice finally, looking up with tearful eyes. Eleazar watched her for a long moment, sighing.

"I have hope," he said carefully, earning another strangling cry.

"What are our options?" I asked.

"She's not breathing on her own right now and we have staff with her 24/7 to monitor her cardiac output."

"So?" I asked, turning towards my husband, who was looking at Eleazar.

"She needs a transplant, Carlisle," he said softly, trying to make this situation as easy as possible. "Her heart won't last much longer."

"Where is she on the list?" asked my husband.

"At the top," he said easily. "The transplant committee's already been over her case and she's been bumped up."

"How long can she survive without a transplant?" asked Carlisle softly, making me sick to my stomach.

Those very words scared me to bits.

Eleazar hesitated.

"My best guess would be two days, maximum," he said sadly. "She's already on full life support."

Alice let out another hysterical cry as Emmett tried to contain her.

"I'm so sorry," he said softly. "We should have caught it earlier."

No one responded.

"Can we see her?" asked Carlisle.

"Of course," said Eleazar, standing up easily. "I'll show you to her room."

Alice could barely walk as Emmett nearly dragged her down the hallway, both of them tearful.

We walked slowly down the hallway towards room 805, finding the sliding glass doors open and little Bella on the bed.

She looked awful, and I found myself crying alongside her siblings.

"Come on," said Carlisle. "If you want to see her, come in now."

I didn't think to hard on the not-so-subtle meaning of his words… come now while she was still with us.

She looked so small and white laying in that bed, a tube down her throat and a black vest strapped to her chest. I saw the patch of gauze on her neck where Eleazar had gone through one of her veins for her biopsy. Her feet, just as they had been this morning, were swollen, along with her midriff and the veins in her neck.

"God Boo," said Emmett, aghast at the sight before him. "What the fuck happened?"

Alice fell into a chair, unable to help herself. The nurses flittered around Bella's bed, constantly monitoring her heartbeat and rate for discrepancies.

"The vest is like a defibrillator," explained Eleazar. "It'll detect any arrhythmias and shock her heart back into rhythm for us."

"Thank you," said Carlisle tensely, his eyes raking over Bella's still form.

"I'll leave you alone," he said, jerking his head towards the door. "Come on."

The nurses and resident left the room, leaving us alone with Bella for a few short moments. I was glad to see that although they were giving us some semblance of privacy, they remained close enough to the open door to intervene, should anything bad happen.

For the first time since our arrival, my eyes fell to my youngest son, who waited in the background.

He looked horribly stricken and absolutely shocked.

"Edward?" I asked softly, earning me a tearful glance.

"Hm?"

"Are you alright?" I asked, concerned. He shot me an incredulous glance before he gazed down at Alice.

"Fine," he said gruffly. "I'm fine."

Emmett glanced up, a curious look on his face as he surveyed his brother.

"Liar," he accused softly, gently running his big hand through Alice's hair. Edward remained silent, breathing heavily as he pinched his nose.

It was harder for him than he was letting on, but I let it go.

"Come here, sweetheart," I cooed gently, leaning down to bring Alice up from her spot on the chair. "Come here."

She came easily and I was mildly glad to know that at least one of my girls was in good enough shape to embrace. I sat us both down on the chair, letting her cry herself out on my shoulder like I'd done when she was just a little girl mourning the loss of her parents.

I couldn't bear to go any closer to Bella just now, not liking the sight of her so broken one little bit.

Emmett was the one who approached first, his steps and demeanour screaming hesitance. I watched with bright eyes as he approached his sister's bed, gently pulling up a chair to sit next to her.

It pained me to see him take her hand so gently, stroking the pale skin reverently.

Emmett had never been very good at expressing himself, but his tenderness spoke volumes. He looked totally and utterly lost.

"Love you, Boo."

I instantly felt the floodgates open as I joined Alice in her tearful mourning, feeling not only my own pain, but the sadness of my other children.

When they hurt, I hurt, and there was a whole lot of hurt going on in this room.

Ever so gently, Emmett brought the little white hand up to his face and kissed it softly, resting it back down on her bed next to her failing body. He rose from the chair quickly and exited the room completely, no doubt to grieve in private, away from the watchful eyes of his family.

No one took his place and the chair remained vacant until one nurse came back inside, her eyes glued to the EKG machine. I watched as she wrote down information and offered us a small, sympathetic smile, returning the chair to its place by the wall, clearing the path for any medical professionals to intervene.

We waited another moment in silence before Edward moved, sitting down in the chair against the wall. He didn't move it forward or take Bella's hand as Emmett had, but simply observed the unconscious girl in her bed.

He purposefully avoided eye contact with anyone else in the room, settling for observing Bella instead.

I'd always wondered about the two of them…

"What do we do now?" asked Rosalie, taking a tentative step forward as well.

Rose had grown close to Bella since her arrival.

"We wait and pray," said Carlisle darkly.

"Pray for what?" she asked.

"A pileup on the interstate," he said roughly. "For her to live, someone else has to die."

I sighed heavily, wondering who would get that unspeakable news… would we have to deal with the death of a loved one, or would that burden be left to another family somewhere else?

Who would die so Bella could live? Which mother would grieve her child's death while I rejoiced in it?

How twisted was this?

No one answered my mental questions and they remained silent while my family did the only thing we could do.

We waited.

**A/N: Please leave some love!**


	33. Chapter 32

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 32**

**A/N: Sorry about the somewhat late update... I recently (last Sunday until this past Wednesday) spent my time in the hospital (I'm fine now) and haven't had a chance to update until just now. Great response from the last chapter... thanks to everyone who reviewed! Since I've been unwell, there might be more than a week until the next update (not a guarantee), but I'll try my best to get it ready. Along with spending my time in a hospital bed, I've been out of school for about three weeks, so I'm majorly behind on homework too... *sighs*.**

EmPOV

She looked so small.

As I watched Bella reclining in her hospital bed, unconscious and unaware of the intravenous needle in her hand and the tube down her throat, I could see how fragile she really was. We were finally alone together since the rest of my family had moved down to the cafeteria for breakfast, leaving me alone with Bella for the time being.

Doctor Denali had said that Bella living through the night had been a positive sign, since they'd had more time to figure out how to keep her alive until a donor heart became available. That vest, we'd been told, had shocked her back three times during the night- something that freaked me the fuck out.

How many times had Bella died since yesterday? Eight?

_Fuck._

No one had slept well last night, knowing how fragile everything was right now… Carlisle, Alice, Esme and I had waited together in Bella's room, while Rosalie, Edward and Jasper had made use of the sofas in the waiting room. Eventually, upon Carlisle's insistence, Alice had left the room to join the other three on a sofa to recuperate from her emotionally overloaded day.

Carlisle had dozed off in a hard plastic chair, Esme had curled herself over the arm of a cushy chair and I'd rested on the small hospital sofa, everything past my knees hanging right over the edge.

All three of us had woken up when Bella's alarm had gone off, signalling another episode of ventricular fibrillation. The nurses and Doctor Denali had rushed in, pushing medication into her IV and ensuring the vest did its job to return her heart rate to a relatively normal rhythm. It had been a tense few minutes while we waited, praying that her heart wasn't too far gone to keep beating.

They were considering bypass now, eliminating the need for her heart to beat at all… one more episode of cardiac arrest, and the cardiac team was taking her in to hook her up to a heart-lung machine that would circulate oxygenated blood for her.

Her heart was too damaged to keep up with the rest of her.

I'd asked the nurses yesterday about her medication- I wanted to know what chemicals they had floating around my sister's bloodstream. I wanted to know what they were called and what they were doing for her.

"_She's on a number of medications," said the nurse, eying me carefully. "Each one for something different."_

"_Such as…?" I prompted._

"_Doctor D has her on Atenolol, saline, Tacromilus, Cellcept as well as Ampicillin," she said gently._

"_What are they for?" I asked, antsy._

"_Saline is water," she said. "It'll prevent dehydration. Tacromilus and Cellcept are immunosuppressants to prepare her body for a new heart. She'll continue those postoperative. Ampicillin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic to offset the immunosuppressants, since she's very susceptible to illness."_

"_Thanks," I said gruffly, trying not to lose it in front of this kind woman. The elderly nurse smiled gently and put down her equipment, coming over to hug me._

_I liked this lady, I decided._

"_You're her brother?" she guessed sadly, glancing down at Bella's still form._

"_Yeah."_

"_She'll pull through," she said gently. "I've seen many miracles in this hospital."_

"_Probably," I agreed softly, "but you've also seen a lot of tragedies."_

_She smiled softly and patted my shoulder._

"_I have," she said gently, "but I have a sort of inkling about this one. From what I've gathered, she's been through much worse."_

"_It doesn't get much worse than death," I said dryly, my own words hitting me hard. The kindly nurse sighed._

"_There are things worse than death, sweetheart. Death, at least, is kind."_

"_How is death kind?" I asked tartly._

"_Death isn't kind to the ones left behind, but it's very kind to the one it takes," she explained._

"_How?"_

"_Do you believe in God?" she asked quietly. I shrugged._

"_Never really thought too hard about it," I admitted._

"_Think about it now," she suggested. "I'm not saying you should believe, but give it some thought."_

"_Yeah," I said gruffly, not too sure how this was an explanation on how death was kind._

"_If you believe in the same God I do," she continued, "then God is forgiving. God forgives all things because he loves us, and I truly believe that love transcends anger or hate."_

"_What if I don't believe in God?" I asked easily, challenging her._

"_Then the dead simply sleep," she said easily. "If there is no God or afterlife, we live, and then we sleep. Simple as that."_

"_Bella doesn't sleep well," I said, my voice thin. "She has nightmares."_

"_I imagine she would," said this tender nurse softly. "I imagine we all would, but I _do _believe in God, and I know he'll help her sleep."_

I still wasn't sure whether or not I believed in that kind lady's God. I wasn't sure if I believed in _anyone's _God… if he did exist, he seemed like a cruel bastard right now-

"Hey Emmett." I wheeled around to glance at the door, coming face-to-face with Rosalie.

"Hey."

"Are you sure you don't want to go eat?" she asked gently, sitting next to me on the little mint-green sofa I'd slept on last night.

"I'm good," I said easily, glancing up at Bella.

If I ate, I'd be sick.

"Mom's worried about you," she told me.

"She has no reason to be," I lied. "I'm just not hungry."

"I told her that, but you know mom," she said gently. "She's worrying over everything."

"Where's dad?" I asked sadly.

"With her," said Rose. "They're keeping Alice downstairs for as long as possible."

"Good," I said. Alice was much too unpredictable to stay here for any length of time… we'd discovered yesterday that she tended to burst into inconsolable tears at random intervals.

It was alarming, to say the least, and dad thought she was on the verge of a complete breakdown.

"Where's Eddie?" I asked scathingly, seeing Rosalie smirk.

"Downstairs with Alice," she said gently. "He and Jasper are distracting her."

"Good. Keep him down there."

I didn't like the way Edward watched my sister… it was far too close to the looks I used to give Rosalie.

…and I knew _exactly _what that look meant. Any living, breathing male knew what that look meant.

He wasn't getting anywhere near her.

"Be nice," scolded Rosalie. "If Bella didn't want him around, she'd say so."

"She can't say so now," I argued, gesturing to her unconscious body. "I'm calling the shots."

"Don't be mean," she said sternly. "He obviously cares for her, and she likes him-"

"Don't," I said quickly, not wanting to think of Edward _caring _for Bella.

Gross.

"You're such a boy," said Rosalie disgustedly. "No one said they were having sex-"

"Rose!" I complained, trying very hard _not _to think about that.

"You implied it first," she said easily. "Bella's not ready for sex."

"God," I groaned, covering my ears. "Stop it!"

She just smiled.

"I'll stop it when you be nice to Edward," she bargained. "I know he can be annoying, but he's your brother and I expect you to be nice to him."

"You be nice to him," I countered, knowing very well that no one fought more in our house than Edward and Rosalie.

"I don't have to," she said smugly. "I'm his sister."

I rolled my eyes, earning me a smack upside the head.

"Don't be condescending," she said firmly. "I don't have to like Edward because he's always annoyed the shit out of me, but you liked him until Bella came back."

"I liked him until he started cuddling with her in bed," I corrected, remembering the day I'd caught them together watching _The Hangover._

"Too bad," she scolded. "Bella knows to tell him if she's uncomfortable."

I closed my mouth, knowing that arguing with Rose was like arguing with a wall… it got you nowhere and people thought you were nuts.

"Has the nurse been in yet?" she asked gently.

"Not too long ago," I said. "She checked all her stuff."

"Good," said Rose softly, watching me carefully. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm fine, Rose," I said tiredly. "Just worried."

She eyed me carefully, assessing the truthfulness of my answer.

"If you're sure," she said reluctantly, knowing very well that I wasn't _fine. _Rosalie knew me better than anyone else in my family, Alice included.

"I'm fine," I repeated again, trying to convince myself as well as her. "I promise."

She frowned, falling silent.

"Did the nurses say anything about a donor?" she asked quietly, avoiding my gaze. Her eyes remained glued to my sister instead.

"No," I admitted. "She talked about God."

Rose scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes.

"Of _course _she did," she said scathingly. "I'm surprised no one else has brought it up yet."

Rosalie wasn't afraid to show her blatant disbelief in God, even after many, many debates with Carlisle, who had been raised strictly Roman Catholic.

"She meant well," I said gently, trying to soothe her. Rose tended to get a little irrational when theology was brought into the equation.

"Did she preach to you?" she demanded.

"No," I said gently. "She just asked whether or not I believed in God."

"And?"

"And I told her I didn't know," I said honestly. She harrumphed unhappily, sitting back on her chair.

"I think it's bullshit," she said bluntly.

"I know you do, but that nurse didn't," I said softly. "She was trying to tell me Bell would pull through, and I called her out on it. She said that what Bella's faced is worse than death."

"How can something be worse than death?" she asked angrily. "Death is the end."

"She didn't seem to think so," I shrugged. "She said death sucks for us, but it wouldn't be too bad for her."

"How'd she come to that conclusion?" asked Rose angrily. "She's never died."

I shrugged.

"Death, according to her, sucks for us because we're the ones left with questions. For Bell, it's either the beginning of eternity or a very long, very deep sleep. Either she's happy or she doesn't care."

"Ever heard of hell?" asked Rose angrily.

I sighed, having no energy to be angry with Rosalie for suggesting that Bella was headed somewhere bad.

"She made a good point," I said gently, hoping she'd sit quiet long enough for me to get the point across. "She said that God is supposed to be forgiving and loving, and that love transcends hate… how could He be angry with Boo?"

Rosalie remained silent for a long moment, shrugging.

"I still think it's bullshit," she reiterated. "If God is loving and forgiving, why is _she _laying in that bed, while Dupont's getting three hots and a cot down in Arizona?"

"I don't know," I said, drained. "I'm sure he has his reasons."

"I'm sure he has his reasons," she quoted angrily. "It's bullshit, Emmett."

"So says you," I argued. "Everything that has no empirical evidence is bullshit to you."

"That's the definition of bullshit," she said. "Something with no proof or reason."

She was very fired up now, her eyes glistening.

"I don't believe one word of it."

"Why not?" I asked.

I'd never really asked Rosalie why she held such hatred towards theology… it had always been a rather sensitive subject, but given the situation, it seemed appropriate to find out.

"Because all throughout our childhood, Lillian and David dragged Jasper and I to a little hick-church in Dallas and pounded the Bible into our heads," she fired off. "I could pretty much recite Psalms and the gospels right now if you asked me to. If God was forgiving and loving like my church taught he was, if God loves all his children equally, why'd he leave us with them? Why'd we end up in that group home? Why'd he let Royce King rape me at that party?"

I sighed and opened my arms to her, letting her slide into them as she pressed her face into my shoulder.

"Why'd he let your sister suffer in that hell-hole and why is he letting her die in that hospital bed?"

"I don't know," I said gruffly, feeling her hot tears through my shirt. "I'm sorry for asking."

"I hate God," she spat passionately. "I hate him."

I remained silent, my eyes shifting to Bella. Rosalie didn't take easily to new people- she was too cynical and closed-off, but something in Bella had gained her trust.

Although Bella was _my _little sister, Rosalie had grown to see her as her sister as well.

She was hurting too.

"I'm sorry I asked," I repeated softly, sighing as the room fell into silence. All that was heard was the rhythmic beeping of Bella's EKG.

"I know," she said finally, her voice muffled by my shoulder. "Sorry for snapping."

"Don't worry about it," I said easily, dismissing it. If Rosie wanted to hate God, I'd let her.

It was a far cry better than her hating me.

"The others should be back soon," she said grudgingly, glancing at the clock. "They should be almost done eating-"

"Excuse me," said a breathless voice at the door, making both Rosalie and I look up. "Where's Carlisle?"

Doctor Denali had never looked this flustered since Bella had been brought in, and it startled me a little.

"Eating in the cafeteria. Why?" I asked.

"We found a donor," he said excitedly.

My heart stuttered as I looked over at my still sister…

"Can you call him up here?" he asked. "Use the phone on the wall."

Rosalie dropped me like a hot coal and nearly shoved me towards the phone, letting me dial robotically. I listened to the two rings before my father's voice answered.

"Hello?"

"They found a heart," I said easily, laughter bubbling past my lips as the news began to sink in. "The doctor's up here now and he wants you."

I heard Carlisle's shaky sigh before he replied.

"I'll be up in a few minutes," he said. "Esme! They found a-"

The line cut off as Carlisle snapped his phone shut, hollering the news to my mother.

"Where?" I asked, facing the doctor.

"There was a two-car collision on the interstate," he said. "A drunk driver hit a car at about 5 in the morning."

"Why are we just being told now?" I asked, knowing very well that every moment was crucial. Doctor Denali smiled sadly.

"The boy was alive until approximately 45 minutes ago," he explained.

"Is his heart alright?" I asked, alarmed. "If he died an hour ago-"

"Brain dead," he explained. "His body was functioning, but his head injuries were too much. We ran the tests and he's a match-"

"Who's it from?" I asked quickly.

"I can't divulge that without first asking the relatives of the deceased," said Doctor Denali. "Before Bella goes to the OR, I'll have one of the nurses get permission."

"Thanks," I said quietly, glancing over at Bella. Rosalie, having jumped out of my lap at the news, was standing beside Bella's bed, holding her hand.

"What are the chances this heart will work better than the last?" I asked.

"It all depends on how her body receives it," he said hesitantly. "I hate to put a number on it."

I nodded in understanding, not daring to push it.

"Who does the surgery?"

"I do," he said gently. "I'm one of three cardiac surgeons in this hospital, and she's my patient…"

"Good," I said. "Great-"

"Eleazar," said a breathless Carlisle, returning to the room with the rest of my family. We all crammed into the ICU room- something that was very pointedly against protocol- and waited for the verdict.

"I was just telling Emmett that we have a donor," he said quickly. "There was an accident on the interstate early this morning, and the donor was pronounced dead about an hour ago. We need to move and get this done as quickly as possible."

"Thank you, Eleazar," said Carlisle, putting his arm around a saddened, tearful mom.

"I'll give you a few minutes with her to say your goodbyes," he said, his voice peculiarly ominous. "The nurses will be in shortly to wheel her down."

"Thanks," said Carlisle softly, watching as his friend disappeared.

No one spoke until Rosalie let go of Bella's hand, standing back to let someone else through. Rose didn't need words to say goodbye. Alice, ever impatient and rather hysterical, leapt at the chance to touch her sister, finding a place on her cheek to kiss. I pointedly ignored Alice's whispered words as she said what she had to for her own wellbeing until Bella came out of the OR safe and sound.

One by one, my family said a quick goodbye, Esme's taking longer than average as she kissed her three times.

Edward was last, approaching hesitantly as his eyes flickered to me.

I ignored it this time, knowing very well that Bella was far from being safe… we might have found a donor, but she still had to survive hours of surgery to cut her heart out. Edward approached awkwardly, obviously aware of the six pairs of eyes watching him before he took her hand and pressed a swift, gentle kiss to the side of her head. His fingers trailed down her hand as he let it go, his eyes still glued reluctantly to her.

I knew damn well he didn't want to let her go, and once the nurses came in and shooed us all out of the room, the urge to smack him slowly dissipated.

I didn't like boys being so close with Boo.

We all watched, stunned and a little fearful through the window of Bella's glass-walled room as the nurses flitted around her, expertly manoeuvring both tools and body parts to get Bell on the gurney next to her bed. Her IV was set up on a new pole and her EKG machine was wheeled along by a young nurse as the others each took their place at her head and feet, wheeling her right out of the room.

"Oh Carlisle…" said Esme as Bella rounded the corner, turning to press her face into dad's chest.

"Relax," he soothed. "Eleazar will take good care of her."

I sighed shakily, the weight of the situation increasing tenfold. At least before, Bella had remained in my sight… I could watch her and keep an eye on her while she slept, making sure the nursing staff was doing their jobs. I could watch her for any signs of change, I could make sure she was still here.

I could _see _her, no matter how many times her heart fluttered out of rhythm. I liked seeing her, even if she was very sick-

I felt a little body pressing itself against me, jerking me out of my musings as Alice wrapped her small arms around me, her head reaching just below my shoulder. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and lack of sleep, and I felt how heavily she was leaning on me.

It hurt to know Alice was hurting too, and some of it was my fault.

"Sorry Ali," I said sincerely, thinking back to my horrendous behaviour in the Forks quiet room. She simply shook her head and tightened her hold on me, giving me her silent forgiveness.

I loved Alice.

"Come to the waiting room with me," she said softly. "Please?"

I nodded easily, having nothing better to do now that Bell wasn't able to be supervised. The two of us led the way to the small waiting room, letting Edward close the door behind us as Alice and I claimed one armchair for the two of us… Ali was so little, it was like holding a kid on my lap.

I watched sadly as her eyes started to flutter before they drifted closed completely, leaving her at the mercy of her dreams.

**A/N: Please review!**


	34. Chapter 33

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 33**

**A/N: My apologies once again for the late update... to reiterate, I've been ill (and, it appears, I STILL AM, though I'm out of the hospital and at home). Along with being sick comes a mountain of homework to finish (I had something like 20 assignments for my online courses, plus two final essays and two tests all at the university preparation level) and still have some to catch up on.**

**Good news for all of you, though! I've decided to stay back a year before going off to university, so that means another year of pretty frequent writing/updating... I'll only be seventeen at the beginning of the next school year, so my family has urged me to stick around for another year until I'm a little older (and I agree wholeheartedly).**

**On a not-so-good note, I probably won't get the chance to update this Saturday either, but I SHOULD have a chapter ready by Saturday, May 28, 2011.**

**And I'll wish everyone a happy May Run (if you have that where you live). It's a three or four-day weekend, depending on what you're doing (students get three, most others get four) to celebrate Victoria Day.**

**I'll also have to apologize for any mistakes, errors and awkwardness... this chapter was hastily written and not very well edited (no excuse, I know), and a few characters had their names changed... if you find any discrepancies (for example, Seth's original name was NOT Seth, but rather an OC because for the life of me I couldn't find anyone to name the poor kid after until just before updating), please don't hesitate to let me know so I can go back and fix them.**

**Enjoy!**

EsPOV

"No, I need at least three rooms," I said angrily, finally losing my cool with the receptionist.

"I have one suite and one two-bed room," she said again, clacking away at her computer.

"I need three, so if you'll hand me my card back-"

"Let me look," she said again, determined. I sighed impatiently and let her click.

"Do you need it right now?" she asked carefully. "Housekeeping's been very understaffed, and they're just getting it ready now."

"Beds?" I asked. "I need at least six."

"It's the matching suite across the hall from the other suite," she said. "Two beds, a lounge area, refrigerator…"

"Fine," I said curtly. "How long?"

"A little over an hour," she said hesitantly. "Where are you staying right now?"

"In the waiting room of Seattle Children's Hospital," I replied curtly. "My children are exhausted and they need beds."

"Of course," she said, smiling sickeningly. "Here are the two keys for the available rooms."

I snatched them away from her, marching over to the elevator to investigate for myself. I didn't trust that woman at all, and by extension, her housekeeping staff. I found my way up to the fifth floor easily enough, gaining access to two side-by-side rooms.

The suite looked good and clean, suitable enough for my girls to stay in while we were here. I exited the room and made my way to the room, opening the door carefully.

It was significantly smaller than the other room, and I wasn't sure whether or not Emmett and Jasper would want the suite or the bedroom.

I let it go for now, determined to make my way back to SCH. I'd been gone far too long for my liking, and knowing that I had a child in critical condition in the OR made my search feel even longer.

It had been three hours since Carlisle had told me to take a break and find us some rooms to stay in while we were in Seattle. He'd felt that I was far too emotional to sit comfortably in the waiting room, each minute feeling like an hour. To offset my impatience, he'd calmly handed me his credit card and told me to go find some rooms for us to stay in.

Who knew that the second weekend in September was so busy? Labour day was here and gone again, and the children were supposed to be back in school…

Many of the hotels were booked right up, leaving me no choice but to get snippy with the receptionist at the Hilton. My bad attitude had paid off though, since I'd gotten exactly what I wanted.

Three rooms and six beds in a decent hotel for three weeks with a 15% hospital discount. A grand total of $33,915 just in hotel bills. I cringed to think of how much money was being spent simply to keep Bella alive. Lord knew Carlisle and I had more than enough money to cover whatever costs might be associated with Bella's medical care, but it disgusted me that hundreds of thousands of dollars was being spent to preserve a child's life.

What if Carlisle and I weren't as well off? What if we couldn't afford to pay that kind of money?

Would they have let our child die? Would they have taken our cars? Our home?

It sickened me that because a child was sick, the livelihoods of countless people had to be taken away

My phone rang, and I picked it up quickly.

"Hello Carlisle," I said gently, recognizing the caller ID instantly.

"Esme," he said quickly, sounding quite frantic. "We need you back here."

A large lump grew in my throat as I scrambled down the stairs of the hotel even faster, concentrating on keeping contact with Carlisle and not falling down the stairs.

"What happened? What's wrong?" I demanded, fearing the worst.

He laughed, and my dread was replaced with confusion.

"What?"

"She's almost done," he said. "A nurse just came out and told us that they were closing her up before they stabilize her and send her to the TICU."

"TICU?" I asked, baffled.

I moved faster.

"Transplant ICU," he explained. "She'll under constant supervision in a private room with only two visitors at a time."

"The last room was supposed to be two visitors too," I reminded him, happy that we were able to bend the rules so that both parents and both blood siblings were allowed to spend the night in Bella's ICU room.

"They'll be much more stringent this time," he explained. "Two visitors at a time, and no one spends the night with her."

My heart ached, knowing that we'd have to leave her alone in an unfamiliar hospital. God forbid she woke up and found us missing…

"Why not?" I asked.

My car was in sight as I left the building, preparing myself to make the thirty minute drive back to Seattle Children's.

"They can't risk an infection," he said easily. "She's very susceptible to illness."

"Hold on while I put you on speaker," I said, buckling my seatbelt and resting the phone in its holder on the dashboard. I pressed the speakerphone button quickly, starting up the car.

"She can't stay all night by herself," I said sadly.

"She'll have to," he said. "Visiting hours are from eight in the morning until eight at night."

"Fine," I acquiesced, deciding it best not to argue with Carlisle over protocols he had no control over. "How are the kids?"

He sighed gently, hesitating before he spoke.

Carlisle hesitating was never a good sign.

"We're all alright," he drawled. "Emmett brought Alice out for some air."

"Is she alright?" I asked, concerned. "She's not crying again, is she?"

"Yes, she cried," he said. "She was very happy to hear the news."

"Alright," I sighed unhappily. "I'll be there in about thirty minutes."

"I'll see you soon," he said gently. "I love you."

"Love you too."

I pressed the end call button on my phone and let my husband go, focusing my attention on bringing the car back to the hospital. Traffic, it seemed, was lighter than I expected, and I found my way back to SCH without much hindrance. I found Emmett's parked Jeep easily enough and parked in the empty spot next to it, paying the two dollar fee to prevent us from getting a ticket.

The less money spent, the better.

The sliding glass doors at the front of the building slid open for me easily, leaving me free to go to the seventh floor, where Bella's new room was. Surgical suites in this hospital occupied the fifth, sixth and seventh floors- the fifth was reserved for minor surgeries, day surgery and emergency surgery from patients admitted from the ER. The sixth floor was reserved for more intense surgeries, especially surgeries focusing on the head and brain. The seventh floor was exclusively for transplants, mainly heart, kidney and liver.

Bella was one of three admitted heart transplant patients, and the only one in such critical condition. Eleazar had directed the two of us to a different room on the seventh floor, where the two of us became acquainted with little Katie, a ten year old little girl who'd lost her heart to a genetic defect.

Katie had been in good spirits when we visited her, chattering away happily about all the benefits of her new heart. Now, she said, she could play soccer with her friends at recess. She wouldn't get as tired as she used to, and she'd be able to play just as well as her peers.

She was very excited about all the experiences she could have thanks to her donor heart, and it had given the two of us some hope.

Katie had also taken very well to Emmett, who'd made it his duty for a few hours during Bella's transplant to amuse the little girl. Only when Katie grew tired did Emmett leave her be, thanking her parents for the opportunity to meet their daughter.

If Bella's transplant went anything like Katie's had, I would be very happy.

"Down here, Esme," called the voice of my husband, forcing me to turn towards the private waiting room. I sighed gently and began to make my way down, emotions running rampant as I braced myself for one of the many possible verdicts from Eleazar.

Bella could pull through, she could thrive, she could deteriorate, she could hang in the balance…

…she could leave us completely…

I took a deep breath and walked a little faster, determined not to force anyone to wait because of my hesitance. My children deserved answers, and I wouldn't be the one to keep the truth from them.

"Is she out yet?" I asked gently, reaching Carlisle much faster than I'd have liked. "How's Alice?"

"The nurses say she's done and Alice is as well as can be expected," said Carlisle softly. "She's being moved right now."

"Good."

"Eleazar's waiting to speak to us," he said. "We're waiting on you."

Without another word, we made our way to the waiting room, finding five children and the familiar cardiologist, sitting together in tense silence.

"Esme," he greeted gently, smiling tiredly. It had been almost eleven hours since they'd wheeled Bella away and close to twenty four since Eleazar had really slept.

"How are things?" I asked, setting myself down on the sofa carefully. Carlisle lowered himself next to me, watching his old friend closely.

"Well enough," he admitted, nodding. "She was a little unstable at the beginning and we had to wait a while before we started."

"Did she code again?" asked Emmett sadly.

"No," he admitted. "She was alright, but it was a tense hour."

Alice squeaked sadly and I tensed, wanting with all my heart for her to keep her head this time around.

"The surgery went well," he admitted. "When we opened her, she didn't react and her BP stayed pretty much the same."

"How bad was her heart?" asked Carlisle, looking grim.

"Bad," said Eleazar sadly. "It was very enlarged and very inefficient. I watched it for a few minutes before we took it out, and I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. I can assure you that if we'd found this earlier, she'd have had her transplant months ago. She should have had one years ago."

"Where is she?" I asked gently, earning me a gentle smile.

"In the transplant ICU," he said softly. "We transplanted the heart, took her off bypass, restarted the new heart and closed her up. We made sure she was stable before we took her out of the OR. She's in a new room right now with a nurse and a cardiac intern supervising her and making sure she's alright. She's doing very well so far."

"Will this heart last?" I asked sadly.

"If she doesn't reject it, it'll last years," he soothed. "Right now, the average for donor hearts is five to ten years, but with all the developments, there can be innovations that can allow her to keep her heart for decades longer. If she doesn't reject it, she'll have a very good chance of living for quite a while now."

"Okay," I said softly, slowly feeling the weight being lifted off me. I could feel the relief setting in, as well as the overwhelming exhaustion.

"When can we see her?" I asked.

"Soon," he said. "I'll go check as soon as we're done here, but remember that you'll need gloves, masks and gowns to go in, only two at a time and only for twenty minutes per session. She's very susceptible to illness, and I don't want to risk her getting sick."

"Thank you," I said softly, not caring what the parameters of our visit were.

As long as we were allowed to visit, I didn't care.

"When will she wake up?" asked Alice softly, watching Eleazar with a very intense stare.

"That all depends on her," he said. "I would imagine at least a day, but it could take much longer."

"Is she off the sedatives?" asked Carlisle.

"No," he said. "She'll be on them until later on tonight before she's weaned off."

"Did you find out where the heart came from?" asked Emmett suddenly, looking incredibly interested.

Eleazar smiled.

"One of the nurses spoke to the family and got the forms signed," he said. "It's very unusual that the donor family should interact with the recipient's family, but since all of you are in the same hospital, we were able to pull some strings."

"Who was the donor?" asked Emmett again.

"His name was Garrett Findley," said Eleazar. "He was an eighteen year old living in Tacoma and in his last year of high school. He was in Seattle for a sports game when he was hit by a drunk driver on the way home and ended up here. He was with the trauma team until he was pronounced dead last night and his organs were donated. His heart was the only organ that stayed in state."

"That's awful," I said honestly, not wanting to think of the poor family left somewhere in this hospital, mourning the loss of their son.

"His mother and father, Charlotte and Peter, are still downstairs and they want to know if they can have news about Bella's status."

"Of course," said Carlisle easily. "Tell them whatever they want to know."

"The parents, as well as his girlfriend, Katherine, are all downstairs, if you want to see them," he offered. "They've been waiting for quite a while now to find out whether or not you'd be willing to share information."

"Where?" asked Emmett eagerly.

"In one of the private waiting rooms near the ER," he said. "I can have them come up here, if you'd like."

"Yes, I'd like," said Emmett easily, sounding more like his old self.

"Alright," said Eleazar, suppressing a smile. "I'll phone down and let them know."

I had to admit, I was curious as well, wanting to know who had sacrificed so much so our family could remain intact.

I didn't know what I'd do if it were one of my children lying in the morgue… I don't know if I'd be brave enough to donate their organs. As selfish as it sounds, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle knowing that somewhere, part of my child was alive in someone else while the essence of my child was dead-

I cringed, forcing my thoughts away from the idea of any of my children in harm's way.

Emmett, at Eleazar's easy acquiescence, smiled for the first time in two days, easing up. I watched as Eleazar moved to the phone on the wall, quietly calling down to the ER to bring the Findley's up from the first floor.

"I'm curious too," said Carlisle softly from my left, making me turn gently.

"So am I," I admitted.

These people were our angels… they'd saved Bella's life. Alice looked oddly perky as well- more like her old self. As sad as she'd be for the Findley family, she was very happy with their decision to give Garrett's heart to Bella.

"They're on their way," said Eleazar. "I just spoke to Peter Findley."

"Great," said Carlisle. "How long do you think we have before we can see Bella?"

"I'd give them an hour, just to get her settled," he said, checking his watch. "It might take them a while to hook up all her meds and make sure the move from the OR didn't mess anything up."

"Thanks Eleazar," said Carlisle, standing and reaching out his hand. The two men shook hands before I got to my feet, ready to show much more affection than a simple handshake.

I grabbed the man before me in a tight hug, resisting the urge to kiss his cheek on the way back. No amount of affection would ever be able to relay my thanks.

Without Doctor Denali, Bella wouldn't be here.

Eleazar simply patted my back gently, letting me pull away with moist eyes.

"Charlotte and Peter should be up here any second," he said, checking the clock again. "I'll go and let you all talk." Carlisle smiled at him and squeezed my hand, letting me lean on his side.

"Thank you," I said again, earning me a gentle nod as the doctor left the waiting room and moved towards the patient rooms, no doubt to check on Bella, little Katie and the other transplant patient on the floor.

Carlisle and I sat down for a mere moment before the doors to the waiting room opened again, a blonde head poking through. The woman, red-eyed and red-nosed, glanced around, her face downcast yet hopeful at the same time as she looked around.

"Mrs. Findley?" I asked gently, knowing exactly who this woman was.

"Hello," she said sadly, moving the rest of her body into the room. Her dark-haired husband followed her, holding one hand in each of his.

On one end was an older girl, around eighteen, her light hair pulled back from her face and her makeup smeared. On the other hand was a young boy, no older than seven, looking morose and angry.

"I'm Esme," I offered gently, reaching out to this grieving woman. She took my hand gently and accepted the embrace I offered, leaning heavily on me as Carlisle introduced the rest of our family.

"This is Peter, Kate and Seth," she said gently. "Peter's my husband, Kate was Garrett's girlfriend and Seth's our youngest."

The poor little boy looked heartbroken as his father sat him down on a chair, letting him sink into it and rest his head on the arm. The girl watched him with gentle eyes, not glancing up at us.

"We're so sorry for your loss," said Carlisle gently. "It's truly awful."

Charlotte Findley simply stared at my husband while Peter nodded softly.

"It's still strange to hear condolences," he said gruffly. "It feels weird."

I frowned sympathetically as Emmett stood up, bringing himself up to full height.

"I'm Bell's brother," he said promptly, holding out his paw-like hand for Peter to shake. The man took in my son's size for a short moment before he shook it gently, letting Emmett's gentle smile sink in.

"Bell?" he asked softly. "Isabella?"

"Yeah, Bell," said Emmett. "Or Boo, if you're me."

Charlotte smiled sadly at Emmett, her eyes brightening. The girl, Kate, squeaked sadly, letting her head fall into her hands as the little boy watched her.

"We can't thank you enough for your decision," said Carlisle sincerely. "I can't even imagine what sort of choice that is."

"It was difficult," admitted Peter sadly. "We were almost going to say no, but he wouldn't have wanted that. He was all for helping people."

"It's saved her life," I said easily. "Bella deserves life."

"So did Garrett," said the little boy suddenly, glaring at me. "Garrett's not supposed to be dead."

I glanced over sadly.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," I said softly. "I don't mean to be insensitive-"

"Garrett deserves to be alive too!" he wailed. I saw his mother swallow thickly before she made her way over to him, trying very hard not to cry.

"Seth, be nice," she said softly. "There's no need to be mean."

"I want Garrett back," he mourned. "I don't want that girl to take his heart. It's not _hers._"

Emmett watched the kid, torn between irritation and pity.

"It is now," she said gently. "Garrett couldn't use it anymore-"

"And he gave it away," finished Seth angrily. "You said that a hundred times."

"And it's very true," said Charlotte sadly. "Garrett loved helping."

"I want to see her," said Seth suddenly. "I want to see her with his heart."

"I know you do," said Charlotte gently, drawing the small boy in for a hug. "I'm sure you'll be able to."

"I want her to come home with us," he added suddenly. "I want it at home."

"You want what at home?" she asked.

"Garrett's heart," he said quietly. "I want it at home."

"It's not ours to take," she said sadly. "I know you're sad, sweetheart-"

"I'm _mad,"_ he corrected. "Garrett was _mine."_

"I know he was," she said sadly, sounding very worn out.

The little boy pouted sadly, turning away from his mother to press his face into the fabric of the sofa he was sitting on. I felt a pang of pity for him as he sniffled sadly, obviously tired and beyond consolation.

"I'm sorry," said Charlotte quickly. "He's just upset."

"I understand," I said quickly. "I really didn't mean to be insensitive-"

"You weren't," said Peter Findley. "My son might be dead, but from what I understand, your daughter's been through enough."

I sighed heavily once more at the mention of Bella's volatile past, knowing very well that once the Findley's got word of her last name, they'd put the pieces together to find out who she was.

"She has," said Carlisle sadly. "That poor girl's been to hell and back."

"Garrett would have been happy to help," said Charlotte easily. "He wouldn't have wanted someone to suffer when he could help."

I kept silent and before long, Alice stood up and manoeuvred her way over to little Seth, who was still hidden away on the sofa.

"I'm sorry you're sad," she said simply, resting her hand on the small boy's back.

He didn't respond, but he seemed to listen.

"Was your sister bad?" he asked finally, glancing up to Alice with curiosity shining.

"No," she said easily. "Why?"

"Because she went to hell," he stated. "That's where the bad people go."

"Not real hell," said Alice patiently. "She didn't have a very happy life."

"Why?"

"Mine, Emmett's and Bella's mom and dad died when we were very young, and Bella was taken away from us," said Alice softly, smiling slightly as Seth perked up.

"Where'd she go?"

"To a place where people were mean to her," she said. "They hurt her there, and made her heart sick."

"Oh," he said. "So she gotted a new one?"

"Yeah, she got a new one," said Alice gently. Seth watched Alice carefully for a long moment before his attention shifted over to Katherine, who watched Alice carefully.

"Kate?"

"Yeah?" said the girl.

"Will you still make cupcakes with me on Saturday?"

Katherine cracked a small smile before she turned towards Seth, grabbing the boy into a hug.

"Of course I will," she said. "I promised, didn't I?"

"Uh huh," he said, turning back to Alice. "How'd they make her heart sick?"

"They gave her medicine she didn't need," said Alice promptly. "They were mean to her and they made her sick, so her heart stopped working and she needed a new one. Your brother's heart still worked well enough so he gave it to her."

"Garrett gave me his old jeans too," offered Seth helpfully. "They didn't work for him, but they worked for me."

"Exactly," said Alice happily. "He couldn't use those pants anymore, but you could."

"And your sister is using the heart he couldn't use?"

"Yes."

Charlotte's eyes brightened as Seth reached over and took Alice's hand, looking slightly happier.

"You're pretty," he blurted, making everyone in the room chuckle as Alice grinned up at Jasper.

"Thank you," she returned.

"You're welcome."

"Cullen?" said a voice from the door, making all heads turn in the direction of the door.

"Here," said Carlisle, smiling gently at the unfamiliar nurse.

"She's ready for visitors, if you're up to it," she said. "Two at a time, please, and don't forget gloves, mask, gowns and sanitizer before you go in."

Without a word, Alice leapt off of the sofa, grabbing Emmett by the wrist to be the first ones to their sister.

**A/N: Don't forget to review!**


	35. Chapter 34

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 34**

**A/N: I apologize about the late update (it was promised Saturday, not Monday night/Tuesday morning). I tried to post it earlier, but I guess was having issues... I was prevented from logging in to my account!**

**It's a little short, but things are going to pick back up soon enough... angsty stuff always gives me a bit of writer's block after a while, even if I have the chapters planned out.**

EsPOV

The rest of our group followed Alice and Emmett as they made their way to their sister's bedside. Her room, to my satisfaction, was directly across from the nurse's station, allowing for constant direct supervision.

From what I could see, little Bella looked even littler than normal. Alice, ever impatient, half-dragged Emmett towards the nurse, who instructed them on how to gown up before going inside.

Watching Emmett stuff himself into a gown and pants that ended up just below his knees was humorous in itself, making everyone's day a little brighter. Alice was the first dressed, as Emmett fumbled around with ties and gloves before he nodded resolutely, determined to get inside.

The five of us watched the anticlimactic reunion from the outside, as Emmett simply stared and Alice cried again. As always, she gave her sister a sweet kiss on the cheek through her mask before she stepped back, surveying the damage.

Bella still had a breathing tube down her throat, her eyes were still shut, her IV was still flowing and the heart monitor was still beeping. The only change I could find was the thick wad of gauze and tape on the center of her chest, where they'd cut her open. I saw Emmett watching her with particularly troubled eyes, no doubt going over what the doctors had done to his sister.

We left them together with Bella for a few moments before they both came back out, morose and unhappy. Any giddiness that had been brought on by the good news of her survival had been quashed once they'd laid eyes on her again.

"How long is she in there?" asked Emmett, tearing the mask off of his face.

"Forty eight hours, give or take a few," said the nurse. "We want to give her body some time to adjust to the new heart before she's moved."

"How long for masks and shit?" he asked crudely.

"When she's moved to a regular room down the hall she'll be able to have overnight visitors without being gowned," she said. "Forty eight hours."

Emmett nodded unhappily, not liking the idea of wearing a biohazard suit to visit his sister.

Alice and Jasper, hand in hand, went to sit on a nearby bench as Alice made an effort to compose herself. Little Seth watched her closely, his face frowned in concentration as he put the pieces together.

"Is she still sick?" he asked incredulously, making Alice look up.

"Yeah, she's still sick," she said softly, letting the boy come closer. "She'll be sick for a while."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because she had an operation," explained Alice. "She had an operation, and she's sick."

"How sick?"

"Sick enough," she replied softly, scooting over to let the boy up. "She has a new heart but it'll take a while to make sure it works."

"It'll work," said Seth confidently.

"I hope so," said Alice gently, drying her tears and surveying the boy. He smiled at her, showing one missing tooth, earning him a gentle grin back.

"Esme?" asked Carlisle, glancing at the gowns in front of her door.

It was our turn now, and I reluctantly turned away from Alice. Carlisle helped me into my own gown before he donned his own, looking just the part of a doctor.

I followed meekly behind him, opening the glass door and walking inside. The smell was sickening- very antiseptic and clean- and I suddenly felt very nauseous.

I approached her anyways, gritting my teeth. Now was not the time to succumb to fear and break down into tears. The time for crying would come later.

Carlisle, ever vigilant, examined her closely, looking over every visible inch before he turned to her monitors. I ignored him and his examination in favour of focusing my attention on Bella. Gently, I pulled up a chair and sat myself in it, taking her hand in my own.

To my relief, she felt warm and very much alive, not cold or clammy. She was still very pale, but the warmth of her skin helped to soothe my fears and keep me calm.

"How long until she wakes up, do you think?" I asked gently, glancing at Carlisle.

"A few days," he said. "Tomorrow at the very earliest, but I'd guess Saturday."

"It's her birthday on Saturday," I noted sadly. The poor girl had never had a real birthday since she was very young, and this year she'd be spending it in the hospital.

"I know," said Carlisle simply, sighing heavily as he turned towards me. "Her monitors look good."

"Good," I said easily. "She's doing well?"

"As well as can be expected," he said easily. "She's unconscious and not breathing on her own, but given the situation, she's doing wonderfully."

I tried my hardest not to cringe at his declaration, wanting nothing more than for her to take breaths on her own and open her eyes.

"We need to go," he said, checking the clock. "They have a twenty minute limit up here."

"For what?" I asked angrily. "She's our daughter."

"She's susceptible," he said easily. "I agree that it's undesirable, but it's the rules."

Carlisle was nothing, if not a stickler for the rules.

"Fine," I sighed, raising myself off my chair. I placed Bella's hand down on her blanket gently, making sure her blanket was tucked securely around her before I backed out of the room, making sure the door was closed before I took off my mask, gloves and gown.

"Rose?" I asked, glancing towards my oldest daughter. She shook her head minutely, letting me know that she had no desire to go into the isolation room. Rosalie had a certain disdain for hospitals and I knew that sitting in Bella's old hospital room had been bad enough for her.

"I'll go later," said Jasper, answering my question before it could even be asked. He had his arm around Alice, who looked very distraught as little Seth held onto her hand eagerly.

"Can I go?" he asked, looking up at me with wide eyes.

"I don't see why not," I said. "If your parents say it's alright."

"Come on," said Peter Findley, taking his son's hand gently in his own. "You need to get dressed first."

The nurse- a kind older woman- stepped forward to help Seth and Peter into their outfits before they could step inside Bella's hospital room.

"Where's Edward?" I asked suddenly, glancing around.

He was nowhere to be seen.

"He went that way," said Emmett grumpily, pointing towards the waiting room we'd occupied before. Without much forethought, I walked along the same path, finding the doors to the waiting room easily enough. When I opened them and peeked inside, I was confused to find the room empty.

"Edward?" I called gently, hearing nothing but the ticking of the clock on the wall. I glanced back to the TICU doors and sighed, a pang of worry hitting me as I looked around.

Where had he gone?

The doors to the hallway and elevators looked very appealing as I moved towards them, curious and a bit worried. I trusted Edward enough for him to be alone when he wanted to be, but it worried me that he'd left without telling anyone.

Last time he'd done that, he and Bella had been hopelessly lost in the middle of the Olympic Rainforest.

"Esme?"

I wheeled around, finding Eleazar staring at me curiously.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Edward left," I said, confused. "I'm trying to find him."

His face softened.

"He went downstairs," he said. "I think he's in Carlisle's car."

"For what?" I asked. "Did he drive?"

"No," he said. "I saw him when I was coming in from my break. He looked pretty upset."

"Thanks," I said softly, the pieces suddenly fitting together. Edward was always the master of deception, being able to hide whatever he wanted about himself.

He would never cry in front of anyone else, even his family. He dealt with his emotions on his own, by himself, and without the help of those who loved him.

Quickly, I made my way to the elevator and let it take me down to the main floor. The large lobby seemed to take forever to cross and by the time I found the front doors, I wondered if I'd remember where Carlisle had parked the car.

In the D lot, I believed.

The D lot was further away than I'd have liked and as I walked, I wondered how upset Edward really was if he couldn't hide himself in the washroom or waiting room. When the D lot came into view and the car was within my sight, I knew right away that something was very, very wrong.

Although he'd had the cleverness to seek refuge in the car, he had still seated himself in the driver's seat, where there was no tint on the windows to block him out. I saw him hunched over the steering wheel, his face hidden and his hair a mess.

… though his hair was always a mess.

He didn't see me coming and when I opened the passenger side door, he jumped in shock and looked up quickly. I was appalled and saddened to see tear tracks down his slowly reddening cheeks. He wiped at them hastily, trying his very best to hide them from me.

"What's the matter?" I asked gently, reaching over and running my fingers through the unruly copper strands.

"Nothing," he answered thickly, turning away.

"Something," I countered gently. "Even Eleazar thought it was something."

"I'm fine, mom," he said impatiently, obviously embarrassed.

"No you're not," I said easily. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not."

"Edward," I said disappointedly, making him sigh as he refused to look up.

"I'm fine," he said again. "I promise."

"You're upset."

"I just don't like this," he said finally, turning towards me with moistened eyes.

"Don't like what?" I asked.

"This!" he shouted, looking torn between anger and sorrow. "I hate this. I hate _him."_

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"That damn Doctor!" he shouted. "Look what he's done!"

I wisely kept silent, letting him vent.

"He kidnapped her, tortured her, fucked with her head and he fucked with her body. He killed her!"

"She's not dead," I said easily. "She's alive and warm."

"That's not the point," he said scathingly. "He deserves to be shot."

"Edward," I said, aghast that my gentle son would even _think_ of that.

"I'd shoot him," he said wildly, his knuckles white with the force of his grip on the wheel. "I'd buy a gun and take it down to Arizona just to shoot that son of a bitch in the face."

I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I reached over and pulled my boy over to me, nearly crushing him in a desperate hug.

"Don't say things like that," I pleaded.

"Why not?" he demanded angrily, his voice muffled by my shoulder. "It's true."

"He'll be punished," I said easily. "He won't get away with what he's done, but that's not the answer."

"He'd better be fucking punished," he snarled. "He's done far too much to get away with."

"I know," I said, running my hand down his back as he tried to calm himself.

"She's special, mom," he said finally, resting his head on my shoulder.

The corners of my mouth curled upwards briefly as Edward's hug tightened.

"She's different."

"She is," I agreed, wondering just how special she was to Edward. "Do you like her?"

He kept silent, answering my question for me.

"I'm sorry you're so upset," I said gently. "I know you're sad."

"I'm mad," he corrected, sitting up again in the driver's seat. "I'm angry."

"She'll be just fine," I cooed gently. "You'll see. She'll wake up and thrive with her new heart."

"Hopefully," he said pessimistically. "We don't know anything yet."

"We can hope," I said.

"Sure."

"She'll be just fine," I said again, determined for that truth to play out. "When she's back at home, we can work on getting her a GED and on her feet." He nodded quickly, sighing heavily.

"D'you think she'll want to go to college?" he asked gently, his eyes shining once more.

"Maybe," I admitted, not knowing whether or not Bella would be able to learn enough to warrant her entrance into a college.

"She will," he said. "She'll want to learn as much as she can." True, Bella was a quick and eager learner. Edward sighed heavily, letting his head rest on his arms once more.

"I miss her, mom."

**A/N: So many of you were pining for some Edward-action and every time I read the reviews I had to giggle... I knew it was coming, even if no one else did.**

**Don't forget to leave a review!**


	36. Chapter 35

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 35**

**A/N: Unedited and VERY late... for that, I apologize. If you need an explanation, please see the note at the end of the chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

CPOV

Two days post transplant, and still no change in Bella's condition. No twitching fingers, no fluttering eyelids, no awakenings…

…and luckily, no deterioration either.

Nothing.

After the sickeningly anticlimactic reunion between Bella and her siblings and Edward's private meltdown with my wife, we were all more than eager to see some sort of change. Bella had been still for far too long now, and it was starting to get to all of us.

I, as a doctor, knew very well how these things worked- her heart would take a while to work at full capacity, her body would always be working against it and she would always be a little different than her peers. She would live, but she would be hindered.

For once, my knowledge didn't soothe me. It didn't even give me the minutest comfort. My profession had turned on me- it had become a double-edged blade. On one hand, no one was better suited than I to look after a sick child, no one in all of Forks could do a better job at giving her a shot at a normal life while still making sure she was healthy. On the other hand, no one knew better how quickly and drastically things could change. No one else in my family knew of all the bacteria creeping through our spotlessly clean home and all the nasty things they could do to her now that she was compromised.

At least she'd been moved to a more public room now. She was no longer occupying the bed directly across from the nurses station with gowns and gloves. Forty eight hours post-op, only a few hours ago, she'd been moved to a more publicly accessible room that allowed one overnight visitor.

I'd been given watch for tonight, giving my wife and kids some time to recuperate. I'd brought with me my newest novel and a change of clothes to occupy me and keep me clean while I kept a vigil at Bella's bedside. The lights were dim enough to promote rest, but bright enough to light up the pages of my book. I knew, however, as I read, that I'd be forced to reread it once my mind was able to fully focus… there was no way I could force myself to focus so intently on a book knowing where I was sitting.

I jumped up as the phone beside her bed rang, the shrill sound echoing through the white room. I leapt up and picked it up before it could wake anyone else on the floor, knowing exactly who it was.

"Hello?"

"Hey Carlisle," said Marcus softly. "How's things?"

"The same," I said, taking the entire phone unit to the other end of the room.

For some reason, I couldn't shake the idea that Bella was just asleep, not sedated.

"She's not awake yet?" he asked worriedly. "Isn't that a long time?"

"We've had people take a week or more," I admitted. "Two to three days is just an average, not a rule."

"Huh."

"How's the dog?" I asked gently, thanking God that Marcus had volunteered to oversee the doings of our unruly animal while we all stayed here.

"Just great," he sniffed. "He chewed the laces out of my work shoes a few hours ago."

My cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

"We'll pay for new ones," I assured him. "Anything else?" Marcus just laughed.

"Don't worry about my shoes," he said. "I tied him outside to get some exercise and he's doing just fine."

"Thanks again, Marcus," I said. Jake wasn't even allowed back at the kennel in Seattle after the stunts he'd pulled last time, and Marcus had been our last resort for dog sitting.

"No problem," he said. "Your dad wants you to call."

"For what?" I asked, stunned.

"He wants to know how she is," he said slowly.

"You told him?" I asked, knowing very well that Aro Cullen was not one to be left out of the loop.

"Yes, and he was a little pissed that you didn't," said Marcus rebukingly. "I don't think your mother was pleased that she had to hear it from me."

"Probably not," I agreed gently. Although my parents lived far away, they tried as hard as they could to be involved in my children's lives. When Bella had come to live with us, my mother had been frantic trying to get tickets down to Seattle before I'd persuaded her to give it some time.

Good thing too, since if those two had shown up on my doorstep to maul Bella, she'd have lost her mind right then and there.

Emmett might have gotten along well with my parents, but I doubted his shy, timid little sister would be the same.

"Dora wants you to call," he said. "They want to come out to help."

"Help with what?" I asked. "Esme and I have it covered."

"I don't know, Carlisle," said Marcus, sounding exasperated. "Your mother likes to help with _everything._ Maybe she thinks you need a babysitter?"

"I'll call her soon," I promised, sighing heavily to myself as the unanticipated conversation wormed its way into my schedule. "What about Uncle?"

"Caius doesn't know yet, unless Aro told him," he said. "Do you want me to call him too?"

"Call whoever you'd like," I said tiredly. "I don't really have the time to get into it with him."

Marcus laughed, knowing very well how his brother was. Marcus, I agreed with, but Caius?

Not so much.

"He's still family, though," I said grudgingly. "I guess he should know."

"Probably," said Marcus. "Where's Esme and the kids?"

"Gone back to the hotel," I said. "The kids were all tired and they needed to rest."

"You need to rest too, you know," he said. "Don't go overexerting yourself."

"I'm sleeping here tonight," I said.

"She's been moved?"

"She can have one overnight visitor at a time," I said happily. "Once she's awake and lucid, they'll let her have two if she wants."

"That's nice."

"I should go," I said. "If you talk to my mother, let her know I'll call soon."

"Will do," he said easily. "Keep me updated, Carlisle."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

The phone clicked softly as Marcus hung up, leaving me alone with Bella in the room once more, the dial tone beeping out of the phone at a steady rate.

I'd forgotten all about calling my worrying, sensitive mother back in Volterra. No doubt she and my father were having a fit, not knowing what was going on.

They loved all six of their adoptive grandchildren, the youngest and newest one included. No doubt they'd make up for years of missed Christmases and birthdays this year with some lavish presents…

…her birthday. Today was Bella's seventeenth birthday, and she was spending it in the hospital, unconscious and intubated. Esme and I had put some brief plans together for what we would have done for her, if she'd been back at the house. A few months back, we'd discussed flying my parents in from Italy and her family in from Florida to meet the new addition and celebrate with us. No doubt Alec would have come out, despite his and Esme's falling out.

Even if Alec would have brought his aggravating wife, he'd have kept her under control around the kids at least… it could have been a great day for everyone, if none of this had ever transpired.

…but there. There was no use mulling over could-have-beens. There was only sense in examining the present situation, and how we might make the best of it now that it had happened.

Gently, I slid the hard plastic chair closer to Bella's bedside, sitting the phone back on the small nightstand beside her. Once my chair was at an appropriate distance, I sat back down, gently taking the pale little hand in my own.

My hand dwarfed hers and when I squeezed it gently, the last thing I expected was for her to squeeze back.

But she did.

"Bella?" I asked, excitement growing in my chest at the very thought.

Another gentle squeeze before it slackened once more, not so much as a twitch coming from her.

"Can you hear me, Bella?"

Nothing.

"Sweetheart?" I placed her hand back down, watching her intently for signs of movement.

Her fingers twitched, and I felt myself smiling widely.

She was waking up.

"Squeeze again if you can hear me," I said eagerly, taking her hand once more. I held it close, desperate for any signs of movement.

She squeezed again, holding it for a tad longer than she had before. Almost as soon as it slackened, I felt her fingers wiggle as she acclimated herself to the feel of another's hand.

"Take your time, honey," I encouraged, elated by the fact that she could probably hear me now. Sure, we'd all spoken words to her over the last six days, but all of them had gone unheard.

She grunted, and I was quick to stop her. There was no way she was speaking with a tube down her throat, and as soon as she figured that out, she'd be sure to panic.

"Don't speak, honey," I warned. "You're at the hospital in Seattle, and they've got you intubated."

She stirred even more at the word "hospital", and I gently tried to soothe her.

The very last thing she needed was a panic attack in the cardiac ICU after undergoing a heart transplant.

"Eleazar's taking very good care of you," I soothed. "Esme and Emmett and Alice and the others were all here not two hours ago, but you were still asleep. Take your time to wake up."

Her eyelids fluttered and before long, they opened, revealing the glazed brown eyes we'd all been dying to see.

She tried to speak again, only then coming to terms with the fact that she was unable. Instead, she shifted her confused gaze to me, questions undoubtedly building up.

"You're in Seattle," I repeated. "It's September thirteenth and you've had some problems."

She glanced down at herself, determined to find the source of her problems.

"You had a bad episode with your heart," I explained, trying my best to keep my words simple and not too worrisome. "The paramedics took you from the house and you were airlifted here so Eleazar could take care of it."

She glanced down at the gauze on her chest and I saw the emotion rising- confusion, sadness, anxiety and then, more than anything, fear.

"Don't panic," I said, beginning to panic a bit myself. "Please don't. You're doing much better now."

She watched me questioningly, glancing up at the IV pole.

"You're on a nutritional supplement, saline, immunosuppressants and a morphine drip," I said quickly. "You'd be in trouble, otherwise."

She grunted again.

"Don't speak," I said again, resting my hand on her hair. "Just try to take it easy."

I looked around for the call bell, unable to locate it.

"Are you sore at all?"

She shook her head minutely, looking very tired.

"Tired?"

_Yes._

She glanced down at her body questioningly again.

"You've had surgery," I said delicately, watching both her visible and physiological reactions. "It was a big deal."

She looked fearful again, and I fought with myself.

Did I tell her now, or let her find out later?

"You've had a heart transplant," I explained. "Your heart stopped working and they gave you a new one."

She stared at me, baffled for a moment before she closed her eyes and tried to speak once more.

"There's a tube, sweetheart, you can't talk just yet. Eleazar needs to make sure you're able to breathe on your own before they can take it out."

She shifted a bit, having very little energy to do much else.

I glanced at the pillow, determined to find that bell.

"Hold on, alright?"

She nodded slightly, watching me with wide eyes as I moved to the doorway, my eyes trained on the nurse.

"She's awake," I said, earning me a wide smile as the nurse made her way around the desk. She followed me back in the room, her eyes trained on Bella.

"Hello Isabella, I'm Marla," she said. "Do you know where you are?"

She nodded yes.

"Are you sore at all?"

She shrugged, glancing at me warily.

"Marla's your nurse," I explained. "She's been here all day."

Bella didn't ease up, but she did turn her attention back to Marla.

"Are you tired?" asked Marla, coming to examine the EKG machine's output. Bella nodded quickly and she smiled sympathetically, taking her free hand gently.

"You'll be able to rest soon," she said. "Just let me get Doctor D in here before you doze off so he can take a look at you."

Bella simply stared in wonderment as the kindly nurse left the room and made her way to the nurse's station to get a hold of Eleazar.

She looked at me again, her eyes teary.

"Everyone'll be glad you're awake," I said. "We've been worried about you."

She looked away quickly, blinking rapidly. I saw her glancing around the room, taking in her surroundings.

Her eyes fell on the large whiteboard, filled with Eleazar's instructions to the nurses.

She watched me, then looked back at the board.

_Smart girl._

"I'll find you a pen and a paper," I said. "Hold on a minute."

She nodded briefly, fighting sleep and morphine once more as she watched me leave the room and head to Marla the nurse.

"Do you have a pen and paper she can use?" I asked.

"She should be resting," said Marla gently. "She doesn't need to be writing."

"She has something to say," I said impatiently, determined to give Bella whatever it was she wanted.

"Alright, but make it quick. She doesn't have much strength yet."

"I know," I chuckled, "but she's stubborn."

Marla wordlessly handed me a wrapped pad of paper and a pen.

"Be sure she washes her hands after," she said. "There's sanitizer on her nightstand."

"Thanks."

Quickly, pen and paper in hand, I made my way back into Bella's room putting the back of her bed up a bit and rolling her table in front of her. I gently placed the pen in her hand and directed her to the paper, watching as she tried her best to articulate words onto the page.

_Jake?_

"Jake's at home with Marcus," I said easily. "He's doing just fine. Marcus told me not twenty minutes ago that Jake had eaten his shoelaces."

She gave a feeble laugh and it warmed me to my very core.

_Alice?_

"Everyone's at a hotel resting," I said. "It's ten at night."

She nodded, looking very concentrated as she thought of whatever else she might need to write.

"Happy birthday," I said gently. "We've got presents for you when you come home."

_When do I go home?_ she wrote.

"I don't know yet," I admitted. "It depends on how well you do and when you can be extubated."

_Ex what?_

"When they take the tube out," I said. "You need to be breathing and eating before you can leave."

The next word she wrote shocked me a bit.

_Edward?_

"What about him?" I asked, knowing very well I'd explained where the family was not a moment ago.

_Is he okay?_

"I'm sure he is," I said cautiously, not daring to tell her about his meltdown.

_He cried, _she wrote. _I heard him._

"When was that?" I asked gently.

_I don't know._

"He was a little upset when you first came out," I said, "but you were sedated then."

_No, I heard him,_ she reiterated.

"He's fine now," I soothed. "He was just upset."

_He was upset more than just one time,_ she wrote, her brows drawn into a frown as she scrawled slowly and sloppily. _I heard him._

In that moment, I wondered how much Esme and I really knew about how Edward was dealing with this issue.

How many times had he cried without us knowing?

"Bella?" The familiar voice came from the doorway, giving Bella a little fright as she glanced over, taking much of her energy to focus.

"Writing?" asked Eleazar, amused. "Most people focus on resting."

_I want to know_, she wrote, flashing the paper at him. He nodded gently, moving the paper out of her way.

"Are you groggy?" he asked gently, checking her monitors and IV.

She nodded, her eyes dropping dangerously as she fought sleep.

"Sore?"

She shrugged, wincing as she tugged her incision site.

"Careful now," he warned, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Don't move around too much."

She simply fell limp, watching him cautiously.

"You'll be feeling better soon," he said, moving his gloved hand towards her front. "I'll check the incision for signs of infection before I go and then we'll let you rest."

She tensed, glancing at me.

"I need to go put on some protective clothing before he starts," I warned. "I'll be back in a moment, unless you'd like me to go."

She shook her head quickly, forcing Eleazar to intervene.

"Careful," he warned again, making sure she hadn't misaligned her breathing tube. "Carlisle and I will step out to gown up and we'll be back in a moment."

She simply watched with wide, observant eyes as Eleazar and I left.

"She's very lucid," he said, impressed as he began to don the sterile clothing.

"She mentioned hearing things earlier on," I said easily, putting my gown on. "She must have been in and out of it for a while."

"Could be," he said simply, finishing up easily. "I'll redress the wound and then we should let her sleep."

"I will," I said quickly, knowing very well that no matter how much I wanted her awake and coherent, she needed rest.

The two of us went back inside and Bella's eyes widened significantly, looking torn between amusement and alarm. I went back to her side as Eleazar exposed her front, keeping her modesty intact by keeping her breasts covered. He gently peeled back the tape and gauze, exposing the angry flesh bit by bit.

Bella watched in horrified amazement as her chest was uncovered and the stapled front exposed.

"Looks good," he said gently, making sure she was showing no signs of infection. "I'll swab it and make sure nothing's going wrong, but it looks just right."

Bella looked positively green as she looked away, focusing intently on the ceiling instead of Eleazar's steady hands.

"It'll heal over," he soothed. "It'll be just a scar before you know it."

She grimaced at the mention of scars, her eyes drooping once more. Eleazar reapplied the gauze, disinfectant ointment and sterile tape before he covered her back up, gently drawing her blankets up closer to her chin.

"Get some rest," he said. "We'll see about getting that tube out in a few days. Have a good night, Carlisle."

"Thanks," I said gently, watching as he left. I moved towards the bins outside the room and peeled off the yellow papery suit before I moved back inside, making sure I sterilized my hands before I did. Bella, on the verge of sleep, gently straightened the pen on her table before I rolled it away.

"Here," I said, holding the hand sanitizer out to her. "You'll need to use this much more often now."

She looked at me, confused, holding out her hands. I gently squirted one blob of the pungent, clear gel into her palms and instructed her to rub them together.

She did so with only a bit of trouble, her eyes falling promptly shut.

"Goodnight, Bella," I said, smiling widely as her eyelids stopped shifting and she returned once more into oblivion.

**A/N: Phew... finally a new chapter! I aim to write much more often now that school's coming to a close. You all know I was sick for a long while (thus, no writing), and after I got better (a few weeks ago), I spent most of my time getting all of my homework done. Now, I graduate high school next week (June 23rd) and I have my exams (supposed to start tomorrow, but my only exam is on the 21st). I've also had a bad few weeks despite not being sick, since we found my neighbour dead in his apartment (very gory and very sad... he was a sick man) and was interviewed by the police (because it looked so much like a crime scene and not the scene of a natural death). We had his wake and funeral earlier this week, when I planned on finishing this chapter. After that, there was a bunch of housework to do (I had, and still have, dishes and laundry coming out my ears!) and I have a family birthday out of town this weekend. I don't think my life has ever been this busy!**

**Anyways, I hope to have the next chapter up sometime after graduation (probably Saturday the 25th), though I can't make any promises. It could be sooner or a bit later!**


	37. Chapter 36

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 36**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter... I hope you enjoy it!**

BPOV

I hated this new hearing. I didn't think any one else on earth knew just how much I hated this way of listening.

Muffled, distorted, echoing hearing that no one else had ever heard in their lives. It reminded me entirely of the way I heard things after being picked in the institute, after the Doctor had injected me with a new chemical.

"Boo?"

"Bell?"

The voices were calling me, but I was much too tired to respond. I was shocked at how well I'd reacted with Carlisle before, but thanks to my strenuous pen exercises, I was completely worn out.

"I thought you said she was awake," complained Emmett, his voice not far from me at all.

"Give her time, Emmett," scolded Carlisle. "She's exhausted."

The room fell silent, and I fought off sleep once again. I wanted to talk to my brother.

I didn't want him to worry, as Carlisle said everyone had done.

"Was she lucid?" demanded Alice's high voice, sounding quite insistent.

"Very," said Carlisle easily. "She was writing questions for me to answer."

"Come on, Boo," mumbled Emmett, his large hand engulfing my own as he held onto it gently.

Just like I had with Carlisle's hand, I squeezed back.

"She moved!" cried Emmett, the sudden volume making me cringe away in my mind.

He was very loud.

"Quiet," said Carlisle softly. "She's awake, I told you that. She's just sleeping now."

"Boo?"

Gently, much to his pleasure, I forced my fingers to curl around his, gripping as tightly as I could.

"Are you awake?"

Squeeze.

"Good," he said eagerly, just as I felt a weight on my pillow and gentle breathing in my ear.

He was sharing pillows with me, and I sort of liked that idea… it felt like I'd been sleeping forever, and I'd missed my brother.

"Are you _really _awake?" he prompted quietly.

I forced my eyes to crack open, slamming them shut again at the sight of the bright fluorescent lights in this nasty hospital.

I hated this place, but had no energy to protest. If Carlisle said it was safe, I believed him.

No matter what my heart tried to tell me.

"Hey there," said Emmett happily, watching as I cautiously peered from between my lashes, letting my eyes adjust to the light. "How's it going?"

I grunted.

"Don't speak," Carlisle reminded me. "Grab her that paper."

Alice appeared before me, smiling and teary as she placed the pen in my weakened hand.

I drew a smiley for Emmett, answering his question and earning me a laugh.

"Good to hear it," he said softly. "I've missed you."

I looked over at him, careful not to disturb the thing in my throat, watching him intently.

_I want to go home._

He laughed indulgently.

"Take it one step at a time, Boo," he murmured. "You've still got some healing to do first."

I frowned and looked up at Alice, who was watching me with dazed eyes.

_Where's Esme?_

"Gone to the cafeteria with Jasper, Rosalie and Edward," said Alice gently. "She'll be glad to see you awake."

I looked down to my blankets anxiously, suddenly very worried about what Esme would think of me now that I'd caused so much trouble.

Esme hated trouble.

"Do you want me to call her?" asked Carlisle carefully, assessing my mood as best he could.

I shrugged, trying my best to ignore the tugging pain in my front.

_Is she upset?_

"She won't be now that you're awake and talking," said Carlisle easily. "She'll be very pleased."

Oh.

"She and the others were all in here earlier, while you were still asleep. It's eleven in the morning on the fourteenth. You slept right through the night last night," he said. "Rosalie was particularly miffed that she missed you."

Rosalie? Emmett noticed my confusion and laughed gently.

"Rose has no patience," he said easily. "She's been waiting for you to wake up so she can visit, and when you slept all morning she got a little antsy."

So I'd made Rosalie unhappy too.

"Don't you even," scolded Emmett sternly, watching me with accusing eyes. "Don't you feel badly about sleeping. Rose can just deal with it."

I flushed bright red and he smiled brightly once more, his hand coming up to touch the reddened flesh.

"I've missed that too," he said quietly. "It's been a sad week."

"When is she going to breathe on her own?" asked Alice suddenly, appearing on the other side of me.

"Eleazar might try today," he said carefully. "There's no guarantees, though. It all depends on how well she does without the help. She was trying to breathe on her own last night while she was sleeping."

"That's good, right?" asked Emmett eagerly, looking positively full of questions.

"It is," confirmed Carlisle. "It shows that her unconscious drive to breathe is there. It all depends on whether or not she'll be able to _keep _breathing once the tube is out."

I blanched, not liking the sound of this one little bit.

_If _I could breathe on my own? And if not, what then?

Would I suffocate?

"If it doesn't go well, Eleazar will just reintubate her and try again another day. I think you'll do fine," he said gently, smiling down at me.

I just watched him, not very placated.

"…don't know when," came a voice from the doorway, making all four of us glance over. "A few weeks at least. School can wait, I don't give a-"

Jasper's tall blonde frame came strolling through the doorway, stopping dead when he saw me watching him. His face broke into a wide grin as he stepped forward, leaving Carlisle to step out.

Only three at a time, I guessed.

"Hey there," he said gently, coming closer to the foot of my bed. He rested his hand on my foot and I squirmed, feeling very ticklish under my covers.

"Sorry," he said chuckling as he moved his hand away. "Good to see you awake."

I nodded briefly, wondering if it was possible for my face to catch fire… it felt so hot.

"Esme and Rose are on their way up too," he warned, looking at my brother and sister. "I'm sure they'll want to kick you out to come in."

Emmett laughed and shook his head, not daring to argue with either of them.

"Edward's outside," he informed me, watching me closely as I took in that bit of information.

…Edward.

I could have sworn I'd heard him crying more than once while I drifted in and out of sleep… no one else had been around but him, and he'd been very upset.

Him being sad had made _me _sad…

…and I wanted to see him.

"Alice?" asked Jasper gently, seeing me glance towards the door. "Do you want to come and grab a drink?"

"Not now-" she began, looking incredibly irritated as she watched her boyfriend. "Oh."

Alice suddenly looked very pleased and very secretive, earning her a small, slightly alarmed frown from me.

"Yeah sure," she said airily, glancing at Emmett. "You be nice to him."

Emmett said nothing, remaining stoically silent as Alice and Jasper joined hands.

"I'll be back soon Bell," she said gently, pulling away from Jasper to kiss my cheek. "Don't forget to make him use the sanitizer."

And with those strange instructions, Alice waved gently and left the room with Jasper, leaving the door ajar for the next visitor to come in.

When his bronze head poked around the corner, I felt my cheeks heat up as I tried my best to look somewhat presentable.

The breathing tube was making that very difficult.

"Hi," he said, taking a tentative step inside the room. I watched as he looked around, glancing over me and letting his eyes rest on Emmett, who looked silently haughty.

I waved back, encouraging him as best I could to come in.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked, earning him a prompt nod.

I wouldn't tell him that I was groggy and drugged and that my front was sore.

I didn't want to upset him again.

"That's good," he said, sitting carefully on the chair. "I was in earlier."

My pen found my hand again and I wrote quickly.

_I know._

"Right," he said, frowning carefully as he fell silent.

The clock ticked as Emmett observed pointedly, not even bothering to give Edward and I any semblance of privacy.

"I'm glad you're awake now," he said gently, taking my needled hand in his. His hand was very warm and very gentle as he held mine, warming up the chilly extremity.

He grinned crookedly, the sight of it making me almost giddy.

I _loved _that crooked smile of his, and based on what I'd heard while I was half asleep, he needed to smile a bit more.

"Do you know how to play crazy eights?" he asked suddenly, reaching into his pocket to pull out a worn pack of cards.

_No._

"I'll teach you," he said eagerly. "It's fun."

"I don't think she's ready to play games yet," said Emmett tartly, watching Edward warily.

_I want to. I'm bored,_ I wrote back, glaring angrily at my brother. _You can show me, if you want._

Edward smiled triumphantly and dealt the cards to the two of us, leaving Emmett out so he could pout about it.

Emmett really didn't like it when Edward and I were together… I wondered why that was.

"Emmett, get out for a bit so Esme and I can come in," said a familiar voice, trailing in suddenly from the doorway. Emmett, Edward and I all glanced around to see Rosalie's tall frame standing in the doorway, looking positively rife with impatience.

"Hurry up," said Emmett grudgingly, his gaze softening as he looked at me. "I'll let everyone else have their turn with you before I come back, okay? If you need anything, just send your lapdog out to get me."

My lapdog?

"Shut up, Emmett," scowled Edward.

Edward the lapdog?

"Come on, come on, come on," said Rosalie quickly.

Emmett cracked a reluctant grin as he kissed my cheek and left the room, letting Rosalie and her mother trail in together.

"God, I'm glad you're up," she said happily.

I nodded briefly, turning my eyes from Rosalie to Esme, who was standing against the wall, observing the three of us.

Edward paused our game for a moment to let Esme and Rosalie have their time. He slid his chair back towards the wall, taking the table with him as he kept his gaze glued to me.

I hoped we weren't finished already. I was very bored here in this room and I rather liked that game he was teaching me.

…then, Edward winked at me.

He _winked _and I blushed beet red.

"Oh sweetheart," said Esme suddenly, rushing forward to embrace me gently. I expected her to hurt me, to brush up against my incision, but she kept herself far away from the cut and didn't even make me flinch.

I could only return the hug with one hand, since the other had a tube coming from it, but she seemed overwhelmed by that small action. I watched as she looked me over, tears threatening to fall as she tried to compose herself.

"I'm so very glad you're awake and alert," she said. "We've been incredibly worried for you."

I blushed and looked away, determined not to let Esme make me cry. I didn't want to make her even more upset… Esme didn't deserve to be sad.

"You'll be home in no time," said Esme gently. "Once Eleazar thinks you're well enough to be at home, he'll discharge you and you'll be able to come back to Forks…"

Esme spoke for a long moment about when she thought I'd be able to go home and what she planned to do once I was there. She planned to use the guest room on the main floor for me while I recovered and she planned on making sure I was always comfortable.

She wanted me to be happy, she said, and now that my heart was on the mend, she thought that's what I should focus on.

Being happy.

"Are you comfortable?" she asked suddenly, looking me over once more. "Do you need anything?"

_No thank you._

"Are you absolutely sure, sweetheart? I don't want you to sit quietly while you're uncomfortable. Whatever it is, I can definitely try and get it for you-"

_I'm fine,_ I wrote back, slightly alarmed by her insistence.

"If you're sure," she said gently, brushing the hair away from my face gently.

I nodded quickly, not liking the feeling the tube made when I did.

"I love you," she said gently.

_Love you too,_ I wrote back, my cheeks red.

She beamed at me and kissed my forehead, stepping back to observe from the chair Emmett had left beside my bed.

"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Rose suddenly, sounding both uneasy and worried.

I nodded gently, trying my best to convey my comfort. I wasn't very _uncomfortable_, even if I wanted to get out of here.

I wanted to be home with my bed and my books and my house and my puppy.

I missed Jake more than anyone in this room could ever know. Now that I no longer missed my brother, sister and Edward, I could only miss my Jakey.

Poor puppy was probably worried sick… he always worried when I left him and he didn't know where I went. He had grown so used to being able to barge in on me whenever he wanted to get himself a pat on the head, I found myself wondering how he was using his time away from the family.

I hoped Marcus was taking good care of my baby.

… I was getting tired again, and I didn't like it. Gently, with my foot, I hooked one toe around the rolling table and pulled it closer, earning me a grin from Edward as we returned to our game.

I needed to stay awake for more than ten minutes at a time if I wanted to get better. Sleeping all the time only made me lazy.

"Are you sure?" he asked, picking up his cards again.

I nodded, determined to finish this new game he'd taught me… I was determined to _win _this new game he'd taught me.

"Crazy eights?" asked Rosalie amusedly, glancing at Esme. Esme watched the two of us with gentle eyes as Edward and I played our cards, both of us entranced.

I couldn't stop looking at him… it had been far too long since I'd seen him.

"Isabella?" asked a new voice, one from the doorway. I glanced over, irked by the distraction as a new nurse- not Marla- came in, smiling.

"I'm Amelia," she said gently. "I took over for Marla at seven this morning. Doctor Denali's coming in to see you in a moment," she warned. "I think he wants to try extubating you."

I stared at her, rather alarmed.

"It won't be too bad," she soothed. "You'll do just fine."

If I could have surgery to replace my heart, surely I could survive one measly tube removal?

"We've been weaning you off the ventilation since the sedation was removed, and last night you were trying to breathe on your own," she explained, repeating what Carlisle had already told me. "If it doesn't work out, you'll have a new tube put in place."

I nodded briefly, forcing down the sickening fear at the thought of the doctor pulling this tube out of me. Surely Doctor Dupont had done much worse?

"I'll have to ask you to leave," she said, directing her attention to Edward and Rosalie. "Mom can stay, but that's it."

"We'll be back, Bella," said Edward gently, sliding the table aside as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Maybe you'll be able to talk when I get back."

I nodded, flushing red again as Rosalie offered me a gentle hug, trying her best not to disturb anything.

"You'll be fine," she said. "I'll go tell Emmett and the others what's going on."

I said a silent thank you to Rosalie, knowing that once this tube was out, I'd be able to say a real thank you.

Rosalie and Edward left the room together, neither one dawdling or procrastinating as I hoped they would. I didn't want to be left here with a doctor and his tube removal system, whatever that might be. I was very thankful for Esme, who took her place on the chair beside me while the nurse wheeled in a cart of equipment.

"Doctor Denali's just washing up," she said gently. "He'll be in any moment now."

I held Esme's hand tightly, not liking this idea one little bit.

I _hated _medicine and anything doctor's liked to do.

I absolutely hated it.

"Hello there, Bella," said Eleazar, walking in easily. He had gloves and a mask on this time as he stood next to the cart. Amelia the nurse and another person- a young man- came inside and watched as Eleazar opened a container on his cart.

"I'll need you to relax, alright?" he asked. "When I pull the tube out, I need you to cough."

Cough?

"If you have any issues at all with your breathing, your monitor will let us know and we'll get it under control before you know it."

He did this much too often if he was so cheery about it.

"This is Fredrick, my intern," he explained, "and you know Amelia. They're here to help."

I squeezed Esme's hand very hard, no longer as tired as I was before Eleazar had come into my room.

My new heart felt like it was going to leap right out of my chest.

I felt him removing the tape around my mouth before he instructed me to open my mouth. I did as I was told, and when he disconnected the machine part from the tube part, I felt myself breathing all by myself.

It wasn't that hard.

"Good," he said enthusiastically. "You're doing very well."

Yeah right.

When he began to tug on that tube, I thought I would throw up right then and there… it felt very strange and very uncomfortable as it came out, leaving me to choke and splutter behind it.

It hurt my incision to cough, but I did as I'd been instructed. Frederick the intern watched my machines carefully as Amelia handed Doctor Denali his supplies, helping him do whatever he needed done.

It was, I noted, a very long tube they'd had in my throat.

I didn't like looking at it, but found myself very pleased when it was gone.

"I'd keep off the talking for a while longer, since your throat might be a little sore," he said. "Tomorrow, we'll try you on some water and clear fluids to get you back up to a solid diet."

I wanted to eat, I decided, since my mouth tasted gross. I didn't like the taste of morning breath and plastic tubes.

With the tube gone, I was also able to stretch my neck, which was very stiff and sore.

"You did very well, sweetheart," said Esme gently, brushing my hair back once more. "Is your throat sore at all?"

"A little," I whispered gently, earning me a wide smile.

"We'll see what we can do about it," she said softly, keeping her hand on my hair. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I said, relishing in the fact that I could speak without fear of pain. Only my neck bothered me now, from being so still and stiff for so long.

"Are you tired?" she asked gently, scooting her chair closer. "I can close the shades if you'd like to go back to sleep."

I hesitated, but Esme saw right through me.

"Go to sleep," she soothed gently, placing my foot back under my covers and tugging them up to my chest. "Rest and get better."

"'Kay," I said, letting her put the end of my bed into a more comfortable position for sleeping.

"Have a good sleep, sweetheart," she said gently, letting my eyes drift shut and my body relax.

Before Esme could say her next words, sleep took me and I was lost to the world.

**A/N: I have the next chapter completed as well, so it should be out in a week. With summer already here and school done with (I graduated this past Thursday!) I have a lot more time on my hands to busy myself with writing.**


	38. Chapter 37

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 37**

**A/N: Man, do I love summer! School's out, graduated, more time for writing... :) Summer makes me very happy.**

BPOV

This was the third day since I'd woken up for good, and the second day that I'd been able to speak all on my own. After Doctor Denali had removed my breathing tube, my throat had been raw, dry and sore, so I left all my talking for the paper instead of whispering. Now, after a bit of practice, my voice was coming back and when I wasn't sleeping, I was talking.

This wasn't the first time my voice had gone away though, so I wasn't overly concerned about it.

"Did you talk to Marcus today, Esme?" I asked eagerly as Esme came in. She jumped in surprise, knowing that I was _never _awake when she got in at eight in the morning.

"I spoke to him last night," she said. "Jake was just fine."

"Do you think he's still fine?" I asked worriedly. "I'm sure he misses Alice."

"I'm sure he misses all of us, but he's fine at home," she said simply. "Don't concern yourself about the dog just now."

"I miss him too," I said sadly. "He's always nice."

"I know," she said.

I watched her curiously, wondering what we'd do today until I fell asleep again or Doctor Denali came to change my medications.

He said that he was taking off one IV medicine and changing it to a pill, and today was the day he'd chosen to let me have a glass of water.

That nasty needle had been watering me until now.

"I brought a deck of cards, your novel and some apple juice for later," she said, procuring all three items from her large handbag. "Which would you like?"

I wanted very badly to say apple juice, but I knew she'd say no so I opted for the cards instead.

"What would you like to play?" she asked easily, shuffling them.

"I don't know…" I sang. "Go fish?"

"If you say so," she laughed, watching me intently as she dealt the cards out to each of us.

Go fish was easy and simple and not complicated so I couldn't get confused.

"Any threes?" she asked, starting.

"Go fish."

I just _loved _saying the 'go fish' part of the game.

She picked up a card.

"How was your night?" she asked idly, interrupting the dialogue of the game.

"Fine," I said. "Emmett left early."

"I know he did," she said gently. "Eleazar wanted me here by eight."

"Why?" I asked.

"He asked for either Carlisle or myself," she corrected. "You need a parent present to sign waivers for you."

"Don't seventeen year olds get to sign their own waivers?" I asked, having overheard a few nurses.

"Yes, but these are extenuating circumstances."

"Extenu-what?"

"Extenuating," she repeated. "Special circumstances."

"Oh."

"You'll sign some of the waivers alone, but the forms for procedures still need to go through Carlisle and I before they head to Arizona," she explained. "We both need to sign them, since a parent or guardian needs to confirm payment."

"Am I being expensive?" I asked delicately, putting my cards down in front of me.

She simply sighed and gave me a gentle smile.

"Let us worry about money," she bargained. "You worry about Bella."

"So I _am _being expensive," I grumbled, knowing very well that no answer meant the bad answer.

"We are more than able to afford anything you might need," she said easily. "Carlisle's father bequeathed him with a very large inheritance when he turned twenty one."

"How large?"

She just laughed at me, shaking her head.

"A lot," she said. "With most of his trust fund still in the bank and the salary he makes as a doctor, we're quite able to pay for your medical care."

"Oh."

"The state of Arizona also sends us money for your upkeep," she explained. "That's going into a college fund for you."

"They pay you to want me?" I asked, sadly confused.

"Not to _want _you," she said, aghast. "To _keep _you."

"Keep and want are sort of the same…" I said.

"We want you, regardless of how much it costs," she said sternly. "The state sends money out to all foster parents to pay for their foster children."

"What's a foster?"

"You're a foster child," she explained. "Children under the age of eighteen whose parents are unable to care for them go into the foster care system. That system places children with families who are willing to take them in. You were a ward of the state until you came to us and we took responsibility for you."

"What's a ward of the state?" I asked, all thoughts of _go fish _abandoned.

"The state was responsible for your upkeep," she said. "You hadn't been placed with a family, and you went to a group home that was supposed to be government funded."

"Felix was there," I reminded her darkly. "I don't think he works for the government."

"No, neither do I," she agreed gently. "I expect that one of the people running the home was the one in contact with CPS and he or she let the others in to help."

"CPS?"

"Child protective services," she explained. "It's the government branch that deals with the wellbeing of children."

"Oh."

"Alice and Emmett were foster children as well until we went through with the adoption. They're both legally adults now, though."

"Oh."

"Carlisle and I were thinking about adopting you as well," she said tentatively, watching me closely.

"What's that mean?"

"Adoption means that we'd be your legal parents, not just guardians."

I stared at her in blank confusion.

"A guardian is someone who cares for a child for a little while, but its not usually a permanent status," she said. "A parent is permanent."

"You'd be my mom?" I asked, flushing bright red with embarrassment.

I hoped I wasn't being presumptive.

"Exactly," she said, smiling brightly.

_I wish Alice's mom was my mom… _I'd thought the very same thing when I first came to Carlisle and Esme's house and learned how lucky Alice was.

"Is Edward adopted too?" I asked quietly.

"He was the first one we adopted," she said gently. "The other four we adopted at the same time."

"Oh."

Edward would be my _brother… _I don't think we were very much like brother and sister.

He was my best friend.

"I think that'd be nice," I said carefully, avoiding her gaze as I picked my cards back up and stared at the two of hearts.

"I think so too," she said easily, picking her cards back up and watching her hand as well.

She looked up at me, smiling.

"It's your turn."

ooOoo

"And you're sure you'll take them?" asked Doctor Denali sternly, watching me with very cautious eyes.

He had set the little container of pills on the table before me after being forced to relocate my IV to my other hand. He'd unhooked the Cellcept from my IV and noticed that the IV was very bruised. He'd decided that because no one had moved the IV in a while, he'd do it himself.

I'd panicked and hurt my incision and made my blood pressure go up and made that kind Doctor panic over me while he ordered the nurse to bring me Ativan. Then, he'd given very strict orders that I was to take my Ativan twice daily, as well as my new Cellcept pill every morning at the exact same time.

He doubted that I'd take them, no matter how many times Emmett had assured him that I _would._

I was still a little sniffly.

"Do I need to check your incision again?" he asked gently.

"No."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You didn't pull any stitches?"

He'd made Esme check since I'd refused to let him anywhere near me while he tried to pick me with the IV needle. Only _after _he'd gotten it in my other hand had I even considered letting him touch me again.

It didn't hurt _that _badly.

"I'm sure," I said quietly, trying my best to fight off the Ativan. After my chat with Esme, I'd fallen asleep until lunch time. At lunch, the nurse had allowed Esme to give me my apple juice and after learning how to swallow it properly without slopping down my front, I'd finished the whole bottle.

The nurse had been pleased with me.

Then, after my juice and gown change, Emmett and Alice had come to visit while Esme met with Carlisle at a restaurant for lunch.

Esme had come back in the middle of my panicking while Alice tried to calm me down.

Poor Emmett had been a little teary too, but he got over it quickly.

Now, Esme, Carlisle, Edward and the rest of my family was in here, everyone looking at me with my red eyes.

"I'll be in to see you later, to make sure you're doing alright," said Doctor Denali, watching me with a small frown on his face.

"Okay."

There was a long, awkward silence as the doctor left the room, looking rather uncomfortable leaving me.

"Watch her blood pressure," he said, speaking to the nurse at the desk. "Page me if anything changes."

I flushed bright red and focused all my attention on the little squares that made up the blanket on my legs. My new IV seemed strange, being on the other side, and I ignored it as best I could while everyone watched me.

I could _feel _them watching.

"Are you alright?" asked Carlisle, making me blush again.

"Mhm."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

I wanted to sink right through the bed and crawl in a hole where no one could see me.

"Do you want anything?" he asked gently.

"No thank you."

"I'll go get apple juice," he said, ignoring my answer. "I'll be right back."

"I'll come," said Emmett quickly, shooting me a small smile before he darted right out of the room, leaving me with Esme, Edward, Alice, Jasper and Rosalie.

"I have to use the restroom," said Alice. She quickly followed our brother, leaving the room.

The room was quiet for a long while before Esme pulled up her usual chair and sat down.

"We're sending Jasper, Rosalie and Edward back to Forks," she informed me.

"Why?" I asked sadly, not liking the idea of Edward leaving. Jasper, I knew, would have to go back for school and Rosalie didn't like hospitals, but I'd really hoped Edward would stay behind for a while longer.

"Jasper and Edward need to get back to class," she said, "and Rosalie's going to make sure the house is in order for when you come home."

"When's that?" I asked, knowing very well that Esme didn't know.

"Carlisle spoke with Eleazar while you were sleeping and he says that in about a week you'll be discharged, if there are no complications."

"Oh."

It was nice of Rosalie to go and clean up the messes in the house.

"I'll set up some of your things downstairs, like we talked about," said Rose suddenly. "I'll bring your books and shelf, your pillows and your computer for sure."

"Thanks."

She just smiled at me and glanced at Edward, who looked unhappy.

"I'd stay if I could," he said softly, not looking up at me or his mother.

"You need to get back to school," she said gently. "We'll have to send Alice back soon too."

Edward didn't respond, but continued to examine his jeans. I knew he was upset, but I didn't dare ask him about it while his brother, sister and mother were watching.

"I wish you could," I said honestly, speaking the truth for the first time out loud. Never before had I told Edward that I liked having him around so often.

His eyes shot up and a grin spread across his face. Before I could even blush, he looked down again, the green gaze once again focused on his pant leg.

Neither one of us said another word before Jasper cut in.

"I've got to go pick up the car," he said gently, making me glance over. "Dad's having it brought down so we can get back home."

"Oh."

I didn't really want Jasper to leave either, but I supposed I'd have to put up with it.

"I'll see you soon," he said easily, reminding me a lot of my big brother as he stepped forward. "You'll be home before you know it."

Jasper's hugs were always gentle, and when I felt the semi-familiar embrace, I eagerly returned it.

Jasper had grown on me.

"Bye," I said quietly, feeling a pang of sadness as I watched him leave.

I didn't want _anyone _to leave.

"Have Alice call later, would you?" he said, looking at his mother. "Whenever she's got time."

"Of course, dear," she said. "Good luck with school tomorrow."

"I'll be back in a few to get you two," he said, looking at Edward and Rosalie. "Be down in about twenty?"

"Yeah, we'll be there," said Rosalie impatiently.

Jasper just smiled wryly and left the room, waving gently as he disappeared through the door.

"I still don't understand why you're making me go," said Rosalie suddenly, rounding on Esme as soon as her brother was out of range. "The hotel room's paid for and there's nothing much to do at home."

"We need you there to keep things running," she said. "It's either you or Emmett, and to be frank, I trust you a lot more than I do Emmett to keep my household running."

"Hey now," said Emmett playfully, returning from his adventure downstairs. "I resent that."

Esme smiled gently at him, standing her ground.

"Rose is much better at cleaning and organizing than you are."

Emmett just smiled and shook his head.

"Plus she's _your_ sister," she added, "but if you'd rather go, then-"

"No!" said Emmett quickly. "I didn't say that."

Rose watched, unimpressed.

"That's why you're going," she said, returning to Rosalie. "We'll all be back late next week or early the week after."

"What am I supposed to do all day?" she demanded.

"Marcus is there too," she said reasonably. "He's not going back to Seattle until we come back home. His firm's fine without him for a few weeks."

"That doesn't answer my question," she said tartly. "I'll go stir crazy sitting there."

"You'll manage," said Esme gently. "Alice will be joining you soon."

"Like hell I will!" came Alice's voice, followed by her reappearance in the doorway. "I'm not leaving until _everyone _does."

She put a lot of emphasis on _everyone._

"You need to get back to class," said Esme, sounding borderline exasperated. "We've had this discussion."

"And I said no then too," she stated. "I'm not going home."

"You have to," said Esme frankly, moving aside for Carlisle to place the juice on my table. He simply listened, not daring to add anything to the discussion.

"No."

"You're graduating this year, and you need to earn your credits," said Esme. "There's no argument to be had. Bella's recovering wonderfully and there's nothing more to worry about."

Alice stared, unconvinced.

"Go home, go to school and get good grades so you'll be able to stay home for a few more days once we're all back home," bargained Carlisle, glancing at my sister.

Alice's eyes lit up, intrigued, before she looked at me.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked. I stared at her, wide-eyed and speechless.

It wasn't my choice to make, but Alice had asked for my opinion…

"I want you to graduate," I said. "You should go to school."

She sighed, giving my shoulders a gentle squeeze before she sat down next to me, silently resigned.

"When do I go?"

"We were thinking Tuesday," said Esme gently, watching Alice closely. "That gives you a day to drive down and a day to catch up on homework before you go back on Thursday."

Alice didn't look particularly pleased, but she nodded anyways.

My eyes drooped once more, and Esme surprised me by placing a hand on my arm.

"Try not to sleep just yet," she said gently. "There's some people outside who want to see you."

I stared at her in confusion… surely she hadn't brought Danielle back from Arizona?

"Who?" I asked worriedly, hoping my blood pressure wouldn't go up again.

"Their names are Peter, Charlotte and Seth," she explained gently. Carlisle's interest was piqued as well, and he watched me carefully. "They live in Tacoma, but they're here in Seattle."

"Why?"

"Do you know how organ donation works?" she asked delicately.

"I got a new heart," I said, shrugging.

"Do you know where that heart came from?"

I sat in astonished silence, wondering why in the world this thought had never crossed my mind. Sure, I'd gotten a new heart, but that heart had probably belonged to…

"Someone else?" I asked, torn between disgust and terrible sadness.

I'd stolen a heart.

"Right," she said, placing her hand on mine like she liked doing. "Garrett Findley was Peter and Charlotte's son, and he's the one who donated his heart."

"Is he dead?" I asked, appalled.

"Yes," she said gently. "Garrett was in a car accident and declared brain dead. His organs were sent all over the country, since he couldn't use them anymore. You got his heart."

I stared at Esme, disgusted.

"I stole someone else's heart?" I asked.

"He gave you his heart," she corrected. "Garrett was eighteen and a legal organ donor. He wanted to donate his organs, if something ever happened to him."

I thought Garrett was a very kind boy, if he'd made that choice. Without him, I knew very well that I'd be dead.

"Why do his mom and dad want to see me?" I asked. "And who's Seth?"

"Seth is Garrett's little brother, and they've wanted to meet you ever since they found out Garrett's heart went to a patient in the same hospital," she explained. "It's a chance of a lifetime, since organ recipients rarely meet their donor families. The best we could have done otherwise was a letter sent to through the donor agency to the family. If you're not too tired, they'd like to meet you."

SPOV

I didn't want to. I didn't care what mom and dad thought, I absolutely, positively did _not _want to.

And they couldn't make me.

I'd changed my mind. I didn't want to see stupid Isabella with her new heart. I didn't care about that girl, and I didn't want to pretend to like her just so I wouldn't be grounded like dad threatened.

"You're to treat her with respect," he'd said. "I don't want you being rude."

Whatever.

That stupid girl with her stupid heart had stolen my brother's good heart to take the place of her broken, stupid one.

Everything about her was stupid. I just knew it, and I didn't care what dad said. I would be as rude as I wanted to this girl for taking my brother's heart. That girl had taken it, and it wasn't hers.

I also didn't care that I wasn't allowed to use the word stupid.

Stupid dad and his stupid rules couldn't get me in my own brain.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I was seven and three quarters, and I could think whatever words I wanted. Mom said that Mrs. Cullen wouldn't like it very much if I said a naughty word like stupid, but Mrs. Cullen wasn't my mom, was she?

No sir, she was not.

Now, we were all standing outside Isabella's hospital room, waiting for Mrs. Cullen to finish explaining about us to Isabella. I already knew everything about her… she'd been a kid when her mom and dad were dead and then she went to a place where a mean man made her heart bad. Then, the mean man went to jail and she moved and blah, blah, blah…

Then she'd stolen Gar's heart and I'd decided to hate her. I would _always _hate her.

Hate, hate, hate, stupid, stupid, stupid.

Take that, dad.

"Come on in," said Mrs. Cullen suddenly, seeming to just pop up out of nowhere. She smiled at me like she always did and I frowned at her, making dad give me the look.

I hated the look.

"Stop that right now," he said. "Be polite."

I made my teeth show at Mrs. Cullen in a sort of smile, earning me a dark stare from dad.

Dad knew I wasn't being _serious. _

"Leave it, Peter," warned mom, watching me too. "Let him be."

Dad stopped looking at me and talking to me before he took my hand, making me go into that stupid room with the stupid girl.

And this girl, _Isabella, _was watching me now. Dad's hand squeezed mine and I frowned deeply, trying to get it away.

Stupid Isabella, stupid hospitals, stupid car crashes and stupid brothers.

Stupid brothers weren't supposed to give their hearts to girls. Didn't that dummy know he needed it to stay alive?

"Hi," said Isabella, her face turning red. I glared at her, making her big brother frown as he stared at me.

I didn't like him either.

"Hello honey," said mom, being very kind to Stupid. "I'm Charlotte."

Isabella started to cry, and I wanted to roll my eyes. I only didn't 'cause dad was still watching me. Mom whispered to Isabella before Isabella turned red again and turned to dad.

No way. That was _my _dad. She had Garrett's heart, she didn't need his dad too.

I didn't care that hers was dead.

"Hello," said dad softly, watching the girl closely. Since he was so concentrated on her, he let go of me, and I yanked my hand away to move away. Dad didn't even seem to notice me when I crept to the back wall, sitting in the empty seat.

I hated this.

"…and this is my son Seth," said mom suddenly, distracting me. Everyone looked at me and I looked away, not wanting Alice or Mrs. Cullen to try and make me be nice too.

I liked them, and I might've listened to them.

"Seth," snapped dad, looking very angry when I looked up.

"What?"

"What did I tell you outside?" he demanded.

"What did I tell _you _outside?" I countered. He took a step forward and mom grabbed his arm, stopping him from walking to me.

Take that, dad.

"Peter, don't," she begged. "Leave him be."

"He can't behave like this," said dad angrily. "He's being blatantly disrespectful."

I didn't care one little bit that I'd made him mad. I was _happy _that he was mad… he'd made _me _mad, after all…

"Seth, mind your father," said mom wearily, sounding very tired. "Go say hello to Isabella."

"No."

Isabella looked very embarrassed now, and I looked right at her. The big guy went and spoke to Bella quietly, making her hug him.

I hated her.

Mom came over and knelt in front of me, making me very angry. I wanted to smack her, but I knew dad would be very mad if I did that, and then he'd make me grounded.

I wasn't allowed to smack people.

"Be kind, please," she said gently. I pushed her hand away when she tried to touch my head, not liking that she'd made me come in here.

I'd _told _her I didn't want to, and she'd _made _me. She'd _made _me come and look at stupid Isabella with Garrett's heart.

She was a thief.

A big, fat, meanie thief.

Well, maybe she wasn't big and fat…

"Don't be impolite and go say hello," she ordered.

I glared at her, challenging her for a moment before she pointed her finger, making the girl's face very red.

Doctor Cullen and Mrs. Cullen and Stupid's big brother watched me as I stomped over.

"Hello."

"Hi," she said, her voice kind.

I didn't even _care _that pretty Alice was her sister and that Alice had explained that the heart was like old pants. I didn't _care _that Garrett couldn't use it anymore so he gave it to someone who could. I didn't care that mom and dad wanted me to be nice… I didn't even care that _Garrett _would've probably wanted me to be nice.

I cared that she'd stolen from me. I cared that she'd made Katie cry and that she was only alive because Garrett wasn't.

My brother _wasn't _alive, and this stupid-head was.

BPOV

And then, the little boy started to cry. As strange and rude as he seemed to be, I didn't want him to _cry._

But man, did he cry… he just cried and cried and cried like I did when Doctor Denali had tried to move my IV. He cried like I did when I'd first met Carlisle and when I first saw Emmett stand up. He cried like I had when Jake and I had gone to town for the first time on our own, and I'd met Mike Newton on the street.

I felt very sad for this little boy who cried.

Seth, I think his name was.

Whatever his name, he just stood there and cried, not even looking for his mom or dad. His mom, Charlotte, came anyways and gently took him away, saying a quiet sorry to me.

I knew he was sad because his brother, Garrett, was dead… I wondered suddenly if this little boy didn't like me.

I wouldn't like the person who took Emmett's heart.

"He'll be alright soon," said his mother. "It's just a lot for him to process."

"Is he mad at me?" I asked nervously, not liking the idea of this little boy not liking me. I'd never spoken to a boy this little before, and I wanted him to like me.

"He's just overwhelmed," said Charlotte Findley. "It's been a rough few days for everyone."

I tried not to cry again, knowing how messed up this was… their son was dead, and because he was dead, I was alive.

If Garrett Findley had lived, I'd be dead.

It was very confusing and very sad.

"He'll be alright once were back home and back into routine," she predicted carefully. "Once we find a new house, we'll bring him back to Tacoma and he'll be back at school."

"Do you like school?" I asked carefully, looking at the boy. He rounded on me quickly, his red eyes enraged.

"No, I don't, and I don't like you either."

I recoiled quickly, not daring to speak another word to him lest he say more mean things. I wasn't exactly sure how to respond to him.

Sure Doctor Dupont had said he didn't like me, but this _wasn't _Doctor Dupont. No one had said such mean things to me since I'd moved in with Esme and Carlisle, and I didn't like it.

"Seth!" said his mother, aghast.

"What?" he asked rudely. "I don't, and that's the truth. She stole."

"I did not," I defended quickly, earning me a worried stare from Esme. "I didn't steal anything."

"You stole Garrett's heart, and it wasn't yours and I want it back!" he cried hysterically. I simply stared at him, angry.

"I'm so sorry," said Peter softly, looking very embarrassed. "We don't blame you one bit, sweetheart."

Peter made me jumpy.

"I've never been to school," I said softly, piquing Seth's interest.

"Lucky," he sulked. "I hate school."

"I'd love to go to school," I said confidently. "Esme says that once my heart's all better and I'm settled, I can start."

Esme beamed at me, nodding her head.

"Damn right you can," said Emmett, grinning.

Emmett loved strange things about me… he liked it when I took seconds at dinner, he liked it when I asked him to brush my hair, he liked it when I watched his movies with him and he liked it when I spoke about going to school.

Emmett thought all of those things were great.

"They'll make you do math and spelling," he warned, pulling away from his mother. "And reading and writing and science and stupid history."

"Seth," snapped Peter suddenly, making the boy look back with his red eyes.

"Sorry," he said, unconvincing. "Dad doesn't like me saying the word 'stupid'," he added for my benefit.

"It's a mean word," I agreed. "Nice words are better."

He simply stared at me, no longer looking as angry as he did.

"Do you ever watch SpongeBob?" he asked curiously.

"Sometimes," I said.

"Don't believe that school," he said distastefully. "Schools don't really have shell desks or fishes that teach and you don't get to drive a car at school either."

I giggled, liking this boy.

Even if he didn't like me.

"Once, I went to school and found a ten dollar bill in the yard," he said proudly. "I bought a new car."

"For ten dollars?" I asked sceptically.

"A toy one," he replied, exasperated. "A red Hot Wheels car and a track."

"Sounds fun," I said, having no idea what he was talking about.

What was a Hot Wheels?

Without warning, the boy pulled away from his mother and came back over, clambering right onto my bed and sitting on my legs.

"Seth!" said Charlotte, reaching for him.

Seth ignored her, and I was too distracted to complain.

"This bed ain't very comfy," he remarked, wiggling on top of me.

"Those are my feet," I reminded him, wiggling them pointedly.

"Quit it!" he squealed, suddenly jumping away when my feet accidentally tickled him. I stopped quickly and he sighed, looking back up at me.

"Do you got a cut?" he asked interestedly, focusing his attention on my chest.

I blushed bright red, knowing very well that it didn't look like he was staring at the _cut._

"Yeah."

"Cool!" he cried, all thoughts of disliking me seeming to have gone right out the door. "Can I see it?"

"No you can't," said his mother sternly. "It's rude to ask things like that."

He pouted, but let it go.

"Did you know that I had a cut once?" he asked. He thrust his left foot out, kicking off the red sneaker to expose his sock.

He peeled the sock off of his foot and put his toes in my face, letting me see the small scar on the bottom.

"I cut it on glass," he said sadly. "I was running without my sneakers and there was a glass and I stepped on it and got a cut."

"Me too," I said, kicking my foot out from under the covers. The white scar was still visible from when Felix had dragged me from the kitchen after breaking a plate.

Seth didn't look at my foot, but focused on my wrist instead.

"Did you get a cut there too?" he asked, humbled by the sight of the criss-crossed scars from the ropes and belts.

"Sort of," I said sadly. "They're from the mean man."

"He cutted your arm too?" he asked, aghast.

"Seth, that's enough," said Charlotte sternly. "Don't pry."

"It's okay," I said honestly, not feeling at all threatened by this small boy. If Carlisle had examined my wrist and then asked questions, I'd have been very upset, but somehow, this little boy didn't bother me one bit.

"He was very mean," decided Seth, leaning forward to examine it even more closely. "I'd have bitten him," he decided.

I snorted with laughter, the image of this small boy biting the Doctor making me giddy.

"I bet you would have," I agreed gently. "You'd have shown him."

He sat up proudly, watching me warily with his brown eyes.

"Sorry I was being mean," he said gently, speaking very quietly.

"It's fine," I said quickly. "You're allowed to be sad."

I was allowed to be sad too- Esme had said so.

"I know," he said simply.

The two of us, as well as all the others in the room, fell into a long, awkward silence before Seth spoke once more.

"Do you like Indiana Jones?"

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed Seth's POV for a little while... I had no intentions of writing it, but I'd thought I'd give it a try. I sort of miss writing children ever since I ended the Diamond in the Rough series... little Bella was a fun challenge.**

**Anyways, I have no idea when the next chapter is going to be up... I haven't written any chapters ahead and I'm expecting my new Macbook (a grad gift from my mom) sometime next week. All my files need to be transferred and I need to get the hang of the new computer before I really get anything done. I'm hoping it'll be up next week!**

**Don't forget to review!**


	39. Chapter 38

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 38**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter... sorry about the wait! I'm currently away from my house visiting family in another town, plus I finally got my Macbook and I've been spending time transferring files over from PC to Mac.**

**It was much more boring than it sounds (and it sounds pretty damn boring, if you ask me).**

**Enjoy!**

EsPOV

It had been one week since Bella had come out of surgery. One week since my youngest child had been pulled back from the edge of a very dangerous cliff, one week since I'd felt that overwhelming rush of relief that had me torn between laughter and tears. Bella's new heart had kept her alive for seven days, and I was growing more and more confident in its ability to persevere and keep her living for much longer.

Bella's heart was working wonders, and with the sense of familiarity being reinstated in our household, there also came a reinstitution of personalities.

Where my other children had been rather unenthused and drone-like while Bella was ill, their personalities had returned with much vigor after Bella's recovery was underway.

Emmett was the only one not arguing with my husband, since he was the only one allowed to stay in Seattle. Rosalie, Alice, Edward and Jasper had all managed to extend their stays, and Carlisle had been forced to put his foot down. The three who were still in school had managed to rake in a terrible amount of homework, and the house was still in disarray.

Marcus wasn't the best housekeeper, and Jake was sure to have made a mess. We needed Rosalie in Forks as well.

Bella, much to my pleasure, would be cleared for release within the week, though she would need to be seen by Eleazar at least twice a week for a month, whereupon her visits would be gradually decreased to once every three months.

Eleazar was just waiting for some more test results before he gave her the all clear.

She was sleeping now, though, after the nurse had injected a mild sedative into her IV. Bella, as it turned out, didn't like being indisposed because of illness. She had a tendency to overexert herself and cause more problems with her incision than was even remotely necessary.

Just this morning, the poor girl had insisted on going to the washroom by herself and ended up pulling one of the staples holding her incision closed. Eleazar had been quite put out and she'd gotten a talking-to from Carlisle before she'd succumbed to tears. The nurse had been brought in with a syringe, making Bella panic before she was sedated and put to sleep.

Stress was not good for her.

The poor dear still had an unhealthy fear of syringe-wielding nurses and stern-sounding doctors. As good as she'd been doing up until now, I knew it was only a matter of time before her weakness lifted and her exhaustion abated, leaving her susceptible to the fear bubbling under the surface.

It was almost as if Bella's body was transferring all of the sickness back to her mind. Where she was once making progress, being under the influence of physicians was once again taking its toll on her.

Only Carlisle—who she seemed to trust—could manage to curb her fears when his visits coincided with her time awake. Bella, once so fearful of Carlisle, clung to him with everything she had, wanting nothing more than protection from the threat Eleazar and his staff posed.

Bella hung onto Carlisle's every word as if it were gospel, not questioning his judgment.

It was both progress and deterioration in the same step.

Now, though, Bella was asleep and her mind was calm. She wasn't panicking or worrying, but rather resting peacefully in the one place she should feel very safe.

No one at this hospital would hurt her.

With her breathing steady and deep, her heartbeat steady and strong and her eyes closed in sleep, she was much better off.

I was waiting, quite impatiently, for the day when Bella could come home and recuperate in her own home. I knew as well as the next person that once Bella was out of this hospital bed and away from Eleazar's scrutiny, she would do much better.

The bedside phone rang, echoing loudly through the room. As much as it startled me, I jumped up and picked it up before it could wake Bella.

"Hello?"

"Hello Esme," said Carlisle wearily, sounding very worn out.

"How'd it go?" I asked, knowing very well that the discussion wouldn't have went very well.

"As expected," he said. "Alice cried, Rosalie argued and Edward looked ready to shoot me, but they're all going."

"Emmett too?" I asked.

"No," he admitted. "He was obstinate."

"When are they going?" I asked.

Rosalie, Jasper and Edward were supposed to have been home four days ago.

"As soon as they get down to you and say goodbye," he said. "I'm sure Alice is going to try and draw it out."

"She's sleeping," I reminded him.

"Alice knows," he said easily. "Don't let her procrastinate. She's already done enough of that, and she needs to get back to school."

"Alright," I said. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Emmett and I are going to find some things for Bella," he said easily. "She'll need clothes and such if she's going home."

I smiled gently, finding the idea of Emmett and Carlisle sifting through girls' clothes with no guidance mildly amusing.

"Good luck," I said, hoping that for Bella's sake, they found something decent.

Carlisle just laughed.

"I'll let you go now," he said. "Just expect them to come in soon."

"I will," I said easily. "Have fun shopping."

"I love you," he laughed. "I'll be by later, when she's more lucid."

"Love you too," I replied.

"Bye." The phone clicked and I put the phone down, returning to the silence of the hospital room.

"Mrs. Cullen?" The nurse on duty looked in on us, stepping in carefully. "I need to wake her up."

"Why?" I asked, glancing over at Bella as she slept.

"It's been three hours since she was last up," she said softly. "We want her to get stronger, and I'm sure she needs to use the washroom."

Had it already been three hours since she was sedated?

"Alright," I said gently, watching as the nurse moved over to the bedside. She adjusted the IV pole and made sure it rolled properly before disconnecting some of the immobile equipment.

"Isabella?" she said gently, gripping Bella's arm. "I need you to wake up, honey."

Bella remained asleep and unmoving.

"Bella," I said, deciding it best that she be startled by me and not this new nurse. "Wake up."

She stirred, her eyes fluttering gently.

"The nurse is here," I said gently, trying to rouse her. "You need to get up."

"I don't want to," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"You've got to," I said, laughing. "Come on."

She opened her eyes, annoyed, and glanced at the nurse.

"I'm sorry," said the nurse gently. "You've got to get moving."

"Moving?" she asked, confused.

"You need to walk," she said gently, "and we want you to sleep tonight. If you stay asleep now, you'll have a hard time sleeping later on."

"What about germs?" she asked, nervous. "Doctor Denali said that-"

"You should be alright," she said. "You're on immunosuppressants, but you're slowly being integrated back into a regular, germy society."

"You'll always need to be careful," I added, glancing carefully at the nurse, "but you'll be able to go out and have fun."

"And I won't get sick?" she asked nervously, watching the strange nurse.

"You could," she said honestly, "but its better you get sick here than someplace else."

"Right."

Bella was, understandably, nervous.

"Come on," said the nurse, offering Bella her hand. She pressed the button on the side of the bed, moving it into a sitting position, and much as her coworkers had before, she maneuvered Bella to stand on her feet.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Mhm," she said quietly, focusing intently on her feet.

"Well, we'll let mom help, if she wants," said the nurse, looking at me.

I liked the sound of that—_mom._

"Of course," I said, taking Bella's arm. She steadied almost instantly, and the nurse placed a surgical mask over her nose and mouth.

"Just in case," she said. "We _do _have sick people, after all."

Bella looked mildly appeased with the mask, even if her cheeks turned bright red.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking up at me as she held onto me.

We took a few steps towards the door, frowning when she winced.

"Just around," I said. "Maybe we could go to the common area?"

"Sure," said the nurse, "if she can make it there."

"I can make it there," said Bella, scandalized. "I want to."

"Alright, but you'll need gloves to touch things," she warned. "They've been through a lot of hands."

"Fine." The nurse, donning a pair of gloves for herself, grabbed another pair and placed them on Bella's hands.

"Don't touch your face when we're there," she warned.

"I know," said Bella gently, determined to make her way to the common area.

The poor dear was still a bit sedated and although her steps were wobbly, she was doing exceptionally well. The common area was far enough from her room to give her a good enough work out, and there was even a washroom she could use once we were there.

"Are you alright?" I asked, earning me a curt nod.

"I want to go home," she said, repeating what she'd told me every day since she'd woken up.

"I know."

The three of us walked towards the common room, seeing that it was empty. Toys were scattered around the room, and Bella looked fascinated.

"What's that, Esme?"

"That's an abacus," I said easily. Bella was taken.

"It's colorful," she said gently. "What's that?"

"Blocks," I said, aghast that she had never seen them. "You build with them."

She made a beeline for the colorful blocks, confusing the nurse when she stacked them into a tall tower.

I made a mental note to take the girl to a toy store as soon as she was well enough.

"Do you have these at home?" she asked, completely enthralled by her discovery. "They're neat."

"We used to," I admitted, not daring to tell her that my children had only played with blocks until they were around eight years old.

Emmett had never wanted blocks at my house.

"Where'd they go?" she asked, making a pyramid.

The nurse slowly retreated, deciding it best not to ask too many questions.

"The kids outgrew them," I said carefully. "We gave them away."

She frowned, putting the block down.

"Play with whatever you want to," I said easily, nodding my head towards the blocks. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"They're for little kids," she argued, setting the blocks down in a row. "I'm too old."

"No you're not," I said. "As soon as you're out of here and healthy enough, I'm taking you to the toy store. Emmett'll want to come too."

"Are you sure these aren't for babies?" she asked, nervous.

"Positive," I said. "Architects play with blocks."

"Oh."

She picked them back up and resumed her stacking, making much more intricate towers than any small child could. I turned on the television and decided to watch the news for a little while.

Bella continued to stack and destroy for a good ten minutes before we heard anything else.

Fifteen minutes after I'd woken Bella, we heard the distinct sound of my children making their way down to the common room.

Only Emmett and Carlisle were missing.

Bella looked up eagerly, hearing her sister's voice. Alice came in first, followed closely by Jasper, Rosalie and Edward.

Despite the goodbyes my children had said before, they'd managed to coax Carlisle into letting them stay a bit longer. Jasper had readied the car, only to park it again once Carlisle had given him a call.

Rosalie, contrary to popular belief, could be very gentle and persuasive when she wanted to be.

"Hi Bell," said Alice morosely, watching Bella closely.

"Hey Alice," she said. "I found blocks."

Alice smiled indulgently.

"I see that," she said. "Are you having fun?"

"Mhm."

"You know we're leaving?" she asked, making Bella look up quickly.

"I do now," she replied, sounding quite put out. Alice turned to me, frowning.

"Carlisle's making us go back."

"You were supposed to go back before," she grumbled, earning her a small sigh.

"Well, Rose, Jazz, Edward and I are leaving now," she grumbled.

"What about Emmett?" she asked.

Alice's face darkened with envy.

"He gets to stay," she said. "He's out right now, though."

"Oh."

"Well, I just came to say bye," she said sadly. "I'll call you every day and I'll see you when you get home."

"Bye Ali," she said sadly, giving her sister a gentle hug. "Make sure Jake's okay?"

Alice, despite her foul mood, laughed.

"Of course," she said. "Love you."

"Love you too," said Bella, sounding very put out. "I want to go home."

"I know," said Alice, repeating what everyone else said when Bella got upset. "Soon."

"When's soon?" she asked darkly, looking between Alice and myself.

"I don't know," admitted Alice. "Hopefully sometime this week."

Too long, in Bella's book.

"Well, bye," she said resignedly, not liking the idea of Alice leaving.

"Bye."

Alice stood aside and let Rosalie through, watching as Rose hugged Bella. The two exchanged soft words, kept secret between the two of them, before Rosalie stepped back and kissed her cheek, letting her brother through.

Bella, much to my surprise, hugged him eagerly and squeezed, earning her a small smile from Jasper.

"You'll be home before you know it," he said easily, letting her go and stepping back. "We'll be waiting."

"Bye Jasper," she said sadly, looking sad.

He was the one who helped her read, and I knew she'd refuse to let anyone else do it with her.

Bella was growing to love reading.

"Bye Bella," said Edward softly, knowing that it was his turn. The other three left the room when he stepped forward, leaving the three of us alone in the common area.

I'd never forget finding Edward in the car, crying over the girl we'd almost lost.

"I don't want you to go," Bella said quickly, turning red.

"I don't want to go," said Edward simply, taking her hand in his own.

"Then don't," she pleaded. "Don't go."

He hesitated, glancing at me. I purposefully looked at the television, knowing very well that if I reacted, he'd try to undermine Carlisle's decision.

If Edward stayed, we'd have a mutiny on our hands courtesy of Alice.

"I have to," he said, sounding quite upset. "I promise to call."

Bella fell silent, returning to her blocks with much less enthusiasm.

"Please don't be mad," he begged. "I'll call and drive down on the weekend, or something.

"That's in a _week,_" said Bella unhappily. "I can't wait a week."

I felt the corners of my mouth turning up as the two conversed.

I suspected that the relationship between those two wouldn't remain platonic for very long…

"I know," he said. "I don't want to go."

Bella sighed and put her block down before she tossed her arms around his neck, holding on tightly. Edward, though he was pleased, looked rather taken aback.

"Please call," she said. "Please, please, _please _call."

"I will," he assured her. "Once you're back home, we'll be alright again."

I didn't bother to put too much thought into that statement.

_We'll be alright again?_

"Good," she decided. "I'll miss you. Please make sure Jake's okay?"

"Of course, Bella," he said. "Be safe."

"I will."

Edward gave her one last smile before he left the room, leaving Bella alone with her blocks.

"Bella?" I asked, glancing over at her. She watched me warily for a moment.

"Yeah?"

"Do you…" I began, trying my hardest to be delicate. "Are you…?"

"Am I what?"

"Do you like Edward?" I asked, smiling widely. She flushed bright red and her mouth fell open.

She turned her attention back to her blocks, her face a dark enough to answer my question for me.

**A/N: Please review!**


	40. Chapter 39

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 39**

**A/N: Here's the next instalment... a little short, but enjoy it anyways.**

BPOV

"I think you'll do just fine," said Doctor Denali, watching me as I fiddled with the buttons on my new pajama top. Emmett had picked them out, and I had to say, they fit very well.

I was glad Emmett had chosen buttons, since pulling a shirt over my cut hurt. It didn't matter that there was a bandage over it… ever since the doctor had changed all my medications to pills instead of needles, they didn't work as well.

…and it _hurt._

Everything, over the past few days, hurt. My eyes hurt because I couldn't sleep. My arms hurt because I was stiff. My back and neck hurt because of the bed and pillows I had here.

And my chest hurt because there was a giant cut in it—a giant cut that stopped me from sleeping properly. Even though Eleazar gave me morphine pills to take when I was sore, I was _still _sore. Carlisle said I'd be sore for a while, especially while I was still so tired.

Carlisle said it was a _cycle—_I was tired because I was sore, but being sore made me sleep badly and it made me tired. When I healed a bit more and was able to sleep properly, Carlisle said I'd be much better off.

But being in the hospital wouldn't make me better any faster, now that the doctors were confident my heart was being accepted.

I yawned.

"You can sleep in the car, and Rosalie has the spare bedroom set up for you at home," said Esme gently, running a hairbrush through my hair. "You'll be able to rest very soon."

"Okay."

"Emmett, can you take her down to the car while Esme and I get these papers sorted out?" asked Carlisle, turning his attention from Eleazar and his clipboard to Emmett.

Emmett didn't even speak as he stood and offered me his hand, grinning.

"Have a safe trip, Bella," said Eleazar gently. "I'll see you in a few days."

Eleazar, it turned out, was willing to see me in Forks instead of making me drive back down to Seattle. He wanted me out of the big city and back in little Forks, where there were less germs and less stress.

It was a good thing Eleazar owed Carlisle a favor, and it was a good thing that Carlisle knew when to cash in that favour.

"Bye," I said, trying my best not to yawn at him again. Carlisle smiled at me as Emmett led me out of the room, making sure I wouldn't fall over or trip.

I was _always _tripping, especially with my new medication.

"Feeling okay?" he asked gently, pressing the elevator button outside the nursing station.

"Fine," I said honestly. "Just a little tired."

"Are you sore at all?"

"A little," I admitted, not daring to look up. I knew he'd frown and stare for a moment before he'd go quiet.

Emmett didn't like things hurting me.

"Well, come on," he said, ushering me into the elevator. "You and I get the back."

The two of us made our way down to the main entrance of the hospital—the place I'd only first seen two days ago. The nurses and Eleazar had said that walking around was good for me and that I should do it more often, so two days ago Carlisle and Emmett had walked me down to the front entrance.

I'd never wanted to get out so bad in my entire life. I was sick of this hospital.

"Out we go," he said, making sure my mask was in place. Until I reached home, I was to keep my mask on.

"Finally," I said, taking in a breath of fresh air for the first time in a long while. "Where's the car?"

"There," said Emmett, pointing to Carlisle's black Mercedes. I walked as fast as I could towards it, making sure I wasn't going to fall over. Emmett set me up in the back seat, making sure I was comfortable and that my seatbelt was adequately fastened before he moved to the driver's seat, starting it up.

He drove the car to the door, where Carlisle and Esme would meet me with my bags. Even though I'd tried to carry them myself, Carlisle had given me a special look.

I wasn't sure I liked that look… it was a little disconcerting.

I left the bags for him to carry.

"You can sleep if you want, Boo," said Emmett softly, opening the backseat door to slide in next to me. I felt his hand on my arm, gently assessing my temperature.

He often thought I was cold, and he was often right. Just like he always did, he reached over and draped a small blanket around my shoulders, tucking the shoulder strap of the seatbelt around the back of me.

It probably wasn't safe, but Emmett wasn't too concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Mhm."

I wanted to tear this mask off of my face very badly.

"Want a drink?" he offered, procuring my juice bottle with my straw.

Poor Emmett was always trying to help.

"No thanks," I said softly, deciding to silence him by resting my head on his shoulder. To make the process easier, he slid into the middle seat instead of the side seat.

"There they are," he said gently, glancing over towards the doors. True enough, Carlisle and Esme could be seen walking through the sliding glass doors, both looking quite content. Both of them opened their doors and slid into their own seats, donning the seatbelts before Esme turned to me.

"You don't need anything before we go?" she asked. "It's a four hour drive."

"I'm just sleepy," I said honestly. "I'm fine."

"Go to sleep," she encouraged. "The drive will go much quicker that way."

And just as Carlisle pulled out of the parking lot, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

ooOoo

I was woken up from my slumber when I felt the car take a rather sharp turn. I squished myself into Emmett's side, blinking blearily as I tried to sit up.

Thanks to the pain medication I'd taken before the trip, Emmett had to help me.

"We're just stopping for gas," he said gently, kissing my head. "Go back to sleep."

My chest was very sore now, and I just leaned against my brother instead of speaking.

I wanted out of this car.

"Are you sore?" asked Carlisle, as if he could read my mind. I saw him watching me from his place, his blue eyes filled with concern and sympathy.

I didn't answer him and he assumed.

"I can't give you any more pain medication," he said gently, "but I can give you an Ativan to help you get back to sleep."

"Yes please."

I rarely said yes to eating Doctor pills, but I'd take anything to go back to sleep and get rid of the burning pain. Esme gently opened her door and moved to the trunk, where we listened as she dug through the bags to find the medication I needed. She found it quickly enough and closed the trunk, moving over to my door instead of hers.

She opened it, and the blast of cold air made me shiver.

"Sorry," she said, opening the bottle. Emmett had my juice ready as Esme offered me half of the little white tablet, waiting until I'd swallowed it.

I wasn't even thirsty, and it took a bit of effort to make myself swallow. Esme waited a few moments before she kissed my cheek and closed my door, letting me warm up again.

Emmett, though he'd moved back to the side seat, slid back into the middle to be as close as he could. Emmett loved being close.

"Just relax," he whispered. "Try to sleep."

Carlisle's radio turned on when the car turned on, and I listened to the soft tune before I tried to close my eyes again.

Sleep wasn't coming, and my front was throbbing.

"Where are we?" I asked, peering up at Em.

"About half way," he replied. "You're probably sore from sitting up so long."

"And it's bumpy," I said softly, falling towards the door when Carlisle turned back onto the interstate.

"Sorry," he said unnecessarily, glancing back in the rearview mirror. "We'll be home before too long, and you'll be able to rest in a bed."

"I know."

I tried to ignore the pain in my front as I closed my eyes again, and let myself fall into a very light slumber.

ooOoo

It would seem that my sleep was much deeper than I'd originally thought. When I next felt my senses returning to me, it was because someone had lifted me from the seat of the car and was carrying me in the cold air.

That someone I knew very well.

"The guestroom?" asked Emmett's voice, right above me as we moved into warmer, more familiar air.

"For now," said Carlisle gently. "I'll look her over in a moment, once we get everything inside and I get a chance to clean up a bit."

"Alright," said Emmett, his chest rumbling when he spoke.

"Finally," said another voice— another one I knew well.

Alice.

"Is she alright?" she asked. "Is she cold?"

"She feels fine," said Emmett gently, moving further into the house.

I was awake now, but I didn't want to walk so I kept up my pretending.

"Is she awake? Bella?" she asked, sounding both anxious and excited.

"Leave her alone, Alice," said Emmett, irritated.

"Oh shut up," she snapped. "It's been four days since I've seen her."

Emmett said nothing, but to his credit, neither did my sister.

"Put her to bed, Emmett," came Esme's voice, speaking from further away in the house. "We'll wake her for dinner."

"Are you sure you don't want to order in, Esme?"

Marcus was still here.

"No," said Esme easily. "I'll cook. She's has to eat healthy food."

"If you say so," said Marcus dubiously. "I think the kid deserves some damn pizza."

No one spoke, but I felt Emmett's chest rumble with laughter.

"Maybe later," said Esme gently, sounding amused as well. "Let her get a bit better before we stuff her full of grease."

It took all I had not to laugh and reveal my secret.

"Mom called today," said Marcus gently. "She's just about ready to have a fit."

"Your mother or Carlisle's mother?" asked Esme.

"Mine, but I'm sure Dora's worried too," he replied. "Mom and dad are trying to book tickets."

I felt myself grow cold at the idea of Marcus' mom and dad.

"Alec called me yesterday," said Esme gently. "We didn't tell him."

I heard Emmett sigh.

"How'd Uncle find out?" he asked.

"Jane," said Esme distastefully.

"How'd she know?" he asked.

"Who knows how Jane knows anything?" asked Esme spitefully. "She's a rat. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if what she's doing is illegal."

"Is Alec coming down?" asked Emmett.

"I'm not sure yet," said Esme gently. "My brother and I haven't been on good terms for years."

"Yeah, but there's nothing wrong with _him," _reasoned Emmett. "It's only Jane that's a little…"

He didn't finish his sentence.

"Well, regardless," began Esme, "he knows he's welcome."

Her words were kind, but her tone wasn't as convincing.

"Anyways," said Marcus, cutting in again before the conversation got too awkward. "Aro, Dora, mom and dad are all trying to get here as soon as possible."

"Does Carlisle know?" she asked.

"Do I know what?" came Carlisle's voice. "Why haven't you put her down yet?"

"We're talking," said Emmett defensively. "She's sleeping."

"Do I know what?" he repeated, choosing to ignore Emmett and I for the time being.

"Mom, dad, Aro and Dora are all trying to get down here. They freaked out when I told them."

"Of course you told them," grumbled Carlisle. "Why'd you do that?"

"They deserve to know, Carlisle," said Marcus gently. "They're your parents, and my parents are your grandparents. They care about her too."

"I just don't want them fussing," he said tiredly. "You know how my father can be."

"He means well," said Marcus gently. "Just let him know how it is with her."

"Right," he said, laughing. "I'll try. Does dad know we don't have space for that many people?"

"He knows, and he's ready to camp out in your driveway, if need be," he said. "He's—"

"He can get a hotel room," said Carlisle pointedly. "No need for camping."

"I think Dora's talking him into renting some sort of RV," he admitted. "They don't want to put you out."

"Papi and Nona too?" asked Carlisle. "Can they even travel?"

"Carlisle, you know damn well that when Dad wants to travel, he'll damn well travel," laughed Marcus. "That man went to Thailand this past February, did you know that?"

"What for?"

"Business," said Marcus airily. "The man fancies himself a prestigious businessman."

"He _was _a prestigious businessman," said Carlisle. "He's just gotten a little old."

"He's ninety years old," he said reasonably, "and he's still kicking."

"Are you sure Nona wants to take a ten-hour flight to Washington?" asked Carlisle. "She's never liked to travel."

"Her love for you far outweighs any dislike for airplanes," he said. "I'm sure they'll charter. They want to meet the girl."

"I'm not too sure she'll want to meet them," said Carlisle worriedly. "They can be a bit…"

"Overbearing?"

"Exactly."

"She'll do fine," he said breezily. "If she could put up with that ridiculous social worker, she can put up with my brother."

"Caius?" asked Carlisle, that one word seeming to speak for itself.

"My other brother's away in Taiwan," said Marcus simply, sounding detached. "He won't make it down."

"Thank the lord for that," said Esme suddenly, her voice taking on a very sarcastic tone.

"_I _can barely deal with Caius," said Carlisle. "She doesn't need to put up with him."

I felt a chilled hand on my cheek, and I knew it belonged to Carlisle.

"Why do you still have her?" he asked suddenly.

"I'm going," said Emmett, resigned. "Just give me a few."

Emmett began walking again, and I heard Alice following.

I'd forgotten she was even there… she'd been very quiet.

"Open the door, Ali," he said gently, letting Alice turn the doorknob to the spare room. I knew Edward's music room was just on the other side of the far wall, and that thought made me happy.

I wanted to hear him play.

"There we go," said Emmett soothingly, laying me down on the crisp, clean sheets. I felt Alice pull them up to my chest, smoothing them down.

I'd missed Alice.

"Where's the dog?" asked Emmett softly, stepping back from the bed.

"Sleeping in the front room," she said. "Carlisle said to wait a bit before he comes in."

That made me sad.

"What about when Carlisle goes to work?" asked Alice softly. "He'll need to teach someone how to change her dressings—"

"He's taking time off," said Emmett. "Four weeks, I think. Maybe more if we need it."

I felt guilty, but pleased at the same time. Carlisle would make sure I didn't get sick. I was falling asleep again, now that I was laying down and not being jostled by the car.

"Let's go. Let her sleep," said Emmett gently.

When the two left the room, closing the door behind them, the room turned very quiet.

I fell asleep before their footsteps disappeared.

**A/N: So there we have it... I know everyone will have some questions about Carlisle and Esme's family, so allow me to answer a few of them now. **

**In my story, Carlisle is 38 and Esme is 37 years old. They took Edward when he was five, making the two of them in their mid-twenties when he came along. Alec is Esme's older brother and he is forty. Jane, Alec's wife, is 39. Alec and Esme's parents passed away some time ago.**

**Carlisle's father is Aro, who is 60 years old. His mother, Dora, is 60 as well. Carlisle was born when the pair was 22, right after they'd moved to America from Italy on a work Visa. Carlisle has dual citizenship (Italian and American), since he was born in America but his parents are Italian citizens. Carlisle's parents moved back to Italy when Carlisle started university. Marcus, Aro's youngest brother, is only around 45. Caius is the middle brother, and he is 57 years old (though we won't see much of him).**

**Carlisle's grandparents, Gregorio (Papi) and Allegra (Nona) are 85 and 82 respectively, having married in their twenties. **

**Gregorio, Allegra, Aro, Dora and Caius all live in Italy. Carlisle and his family live in Forks (obviously) and Marcus lives in Seattle. Marcus has also been granted dual citizenship, allowing him to run his law firm.**

**Carlisle= doctor  
Esme= parttime interior decorator  
Marcus= lawyer  
Aro= CEO of an architectural company in Italy  
Dora= former schoolteacher  
****Gregorio= retired CEO (replaced by Aro)  
****Allegra= housewife  
****Caius= founder of a chain of successful car dealerships in Italy  
Alec= history professor at the University of Jacksonville  
Jane= housewife**

**For more information on the family structure, check out the family tree I have posted the link for on my profile.**

**... and by the way, we've still got some drama left in the plot line. Don't think anyone's off the hook yet!**


	41. Chapter 40

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 40**

**A/N: Please keep in mind that everyone in my story is human with human emotions... don't criticize unless you've been in a position like this one!**

**...and I know some of you will be angry with Emmett (and maybe Carlisle), but that's okay.**

BPOV

Waking up in a real bed with real blankets and real pillows was the greatest thing that had happened to me in a long time. Instead of feeling the starched, stiff hospital sheets, I felt the soft, clean sheets that smelled like Esme's laundry soap. I felt the sunlight through the large window instead of the weak light through the small one, and the house smelled like cooking.

Esme was making food, that much was certain.

I didn't want to open my eyes and leave this little dream-world… even though I was sick, I could live here forever and ever. I _wanted _to live here forever. This bed with these warm blankets was the most perfect place I could've imagined.

It was nothing like the ward, and it was nothing like the hospital.

I stayed perfectly still and silent in my bed for a moment, before I felt movement at my side.

"Fuck," said a voice, making my stomach jump a little.

_Emmett._

What was his problem?

I cracked my eyes open a little, not letting him know I was looking. He had his head down on my bed, being as still as I was, though now that I listened, I could hear him breathing.

"Goddamn, _fuck!" _he snarled again, whispering that terrible word.

I opened my eyes fully, frowning.

"What's the matter?"

"Jesus!" he yelped, jerking his head up.

My brother had been crying.

"How long have you been awake?" he demanded, suddenly apprehensive.

"A few minutes," I said croakily. "I was comfy."

"Hm," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Are _you_ okay?" I countered saucily. "You've been crying."

"I'm peachy," he said sarcastically. "You're the one to worry about."

"I'm fine," I said honestly. "I don't even hurt right now."

"Carlisle gave you a morphine shot," he explained. "He wanted you to sleep."

I dismissed the fear that came with the idea of needles, focusing instead on _who _had administered the injection.

He wouldn't hurt me.

"Well it worked," I said. "Why were you crying?"

"I'm not crying," he said. "See?"

He grinned half-heartedly, and I stared.

"You were so," I accused gently. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing to concern yourself about," he said gently. "Don't worry about me."

"I _always _worry about you," I countered. "I love you."

"Love you too, Bell."

He still hadn't answered my question.

"What made you cry?"

"I was just sad, Boo," he soothed. "Nothing to worry about."

"You weren't sad before," I argued. "You carried me inside and spoke to Carlisle and you weren't sad then."

"You were awake?" he asked, amused.

"I didn't want to walk," I defended. "I was sore." He barked out a laugh.

"Well, I'll carry you whenever you want to be carried," he said. "Are you coming out for dinner later, or do I have to come and eat with you in here?"

"Why were you crying?"

"Please leave it alone," he said. "I'm fine."

"No."

"Damn it, Boo," he complained, looking torn between irritation and amusement.

"Why were you sad?"

"I'm not sad."

"Why _were _you sad?" I repeated.

"Drop it."

"No."

"Yes."

"_No."_

He sighed and I stared him down, wanting very badly to know why Emmett had been so upset.

He almost never cried.

"I was sad because I missed you," he said softly. "I missed you being home and it just got to me, okay?"

"You missed me and I made you sad?" I asked, confused.

If he'd missed me, surely he should be glad that I was back home?

"You didn't make me sad," he said quickly. "I'm just upset with the situation."

"What situation?"

"This one," he said, gesturing to me. "I don't want you sick, and I don't want you to be hurting so badly that you don't even want to walk."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault," he said firmly. "I'm angry, and upset and just…"

"Just what?" I asked, frowning and trying not to cry myself.

"Just _mad," _he said. "I'm pissed off and I'm sorry you had to know that I cried."

"I'm not," I said honestly. "Someone should know you're sad."

"Not you," he said. "You don't need to be worrying about me."

I didn't even bother lying and telling him that I wasn't worrying.

I would always worry about Emmett… even if he was the bigger one.

"Em?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Will the Doctor get enough jail time?" I asked hesitantly.

"He damn well better," he snarled. "He won't get off."

"Why?"

"Because they've been collecting evidence for a while now. I don't care who his lawyer is, no one can defend what he did."

"Would he get more jail time if I testified?" I asked, testing the word carefully.

Emmett's head snapped up.

"You don't have to do that," he said gently. "Don't feel obligated just because I'm mad at him—"

"I'm mad at him too," I said easily. "I don't want him getting off."

"You also don't want to testify," he said warily. "Don't put yourself through that just because you feel like you have to."

"I don't _have _to," I said. "I'm thinking I might _want _to."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want him to get out," I said, fearful. "I hate the idea of testifying, but I hate him more. And it'll make you happy."

"Don't you dare, Isabella," he said angrily. "Don't you dare make that choice because of me. Fuck what I want—"

"Don't yell at me," I snapped. "I'm not yelling at you."

He took a deep breath, trying very hard to keep his temper in check.

"Bella…" he warned. "Don't do that. Don't make yourself testify if you—"

"Stop telling me what to do!" I cried. "I'm a big girl."

"Don't start," he warned. "You're not testifying because of me."

"It's not because of you," I snapped.

"Seems that way," he argued. "You've been against it until now."

"Things change."

"Not that fast," he argued. "Things take time to change—"

"Don't tell me what to do!" I cried again. "Where's Carlisle?"

"Busy," said Emmett, finally losing his temper. "Damn it, I know I'm a little bossy, but it's for your own good!"

"No it's not," I said angrily. "I know what's good for me."

"Obviously not," he snapped. "What do you think stress is going to do to you?"

"I know what it could do," I said, "but I also know what he can do!"

"He's in jail!" cried Emmett. "He can't do anything!"

"He will if he gets off," I said, breathing very heavily. "I _know _what he can do—"

"Bella, come on!" he cried. "You can't go to Arizona!"

"Watch me, Emmett," I snarled, in a sudden bad mood.

He couldn't boss me.

"Excuse me?" he asked, aghast. "Don't think I can't stop you—"

"You can't stop me!" I hollered, sitting up in bed. "Don't even _think _you can!"

"I can do things you can't even _imagine," _he snarled. "I'm going to Carlisle right now, and—"

"Oh for god's sake!" I cried. "I'm not a baby!"

"I never said you were," he said. "You're not going to Arizona."

"I will if I want to," I growled. "You can't stop me."

"I'll tie you to that bed if I have to," he said wildly. "Just try me."

I froze, trying to push past my fear. He was on his feet now, breathing heavily.

"Get out of my room!" I ordered. "Get out right now!"

He turned to leave, and we both noticed Carlisle in the doorway, watching us.

"You shouldn't be shouting," he said gently. "It's not good for you—"

"You can get out too," I snapped rudely. He looked very taken aback before Emmett shoved him aside and stormed out of the room, angry.

"I don't tolerate that tone from any of the others, and I certainly won't take it from you," said Carlisle gently, coming in and closing the door behind him.

A wave of fear washed over me, my mind instinctively wondering what he had on him.

Carlisle didn't carry stun guns…

"What's got you so riled up?" he asked softly, sitting on my bed. I turned away from him, my anger enduring.

It wasn't fizzling out.

"I can't help if you won't talk to me," he said gently. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Like I said, I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

"Are you going to smack me?" I blurted, watching as his face went red.

"No," he snapped, making me jump. "Surely you know that by now?"

"It's what people do when they're mad," I shrugged. "They hurt."

"You know very well that we don't do that here," he said, trying very hard to keep his voice steady. "I thought we'd gotten past this."

"Emmett obviously hasn't gotten past _anything,"_ I snorted. "He's being a jerk."

"About what?" asked Carlisle. "What's got him so upset?"

"Ask _him,"_ I said indifferently. "I'm done talking."

"No you're not," he said easily. "You're not done talking until we—"

"Until what?" I fired. "Until you say so?"

"I never said that," he began carefully.

"But you were going to," I argued. "You're the same as _him."_

"I'm the same as who?" he asked.

I refused to answer, since I wasn't exactly sure for myself.

Emmett? The Doctor?

Maybe they were all the same… all part of the same entity.

"Please don't liken me to James Dupont," he said sadly. "I'd hate to know you thought so little of me."

My stomach clenched uncomfortably, but I refused to answer back.

"Where's Jake?"

"Why would you make that comparison?" he asked, ignoring my question.

He wasn't angry or frustrated anymore, and I wanted my puppy.

"He told me what to do too," I said simply. "I don't like it."

"Why don't you like it?" asked Carlisle softly.

"Because it's my life, not Emmett's!" I cried, feeling my temper rearing up again. "He needs to leave me alone."

"He loves you, Bella," said Carlisle softly. "He's just worried."

"He needs to get over it."

He just sighed, reaching out to take my hand. I jerked it away from him, making him recoil quickly and stand.

"I'll leave you be," he said gently. "If you need anything, just let us know."

I felt guilty when he began to walk away, but my temper was very close to bubbling over again.

I didn't respond as he closed the door behind him.

**A/N: Don't judge Bella either... she has a right to make decisions, and just because it hasn't been written in, some of you must have been wondering if this whole heart issue would make her change her mind. It's only reasonable that Bella wants to exact revenge on the man who hurt her, even if it means facing her fears.**

**Don't forget to review!**

**...and a lot of you have been asking about my Twitter account (I get a lot of PMs about it). You can find the link on my profile if you want to follow me.**


	42. Chapter 41

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 41**

**A/N: I'm losing my touch, am I? Don't leave me anonymous reviews with criticism in them. Criticism is meant to help the writer evolve and grow, which in my opinion, requires interaction. I can't message you or reply to your anonymous review!**

**I know it was short, but I'm sorry, there was nothing lacking in quality... what, pray tell, have I lost with regards to my "touch"? At least leave a name when you're trying to call me out on something. I have no qualms with people disliking or even hating what I write, that's fine, but at least have the courtesy to use an account (they're free!) so I can respond privately. I want to know what you think is so terrible about the last few chapters that you feel the need to call me out on it.**

**If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that.**

**For the rest of you, enjoy the chapter.**

CPOV

I left Bella alone in the guest room, closing the door gently behind me as I tried not to take her words to heart. I knew she had a right to be in a bad mood, and I knew she wasn't speaking rationally.

She was angry with Emmett, and she'd taken that out on me. I'd only caught the tail end of their conversation, having gone to investigate when I'd heard her shouting. Almost as soon as I'd gotten there, Bella had kicked Emmett out of the room and had tried to do the same to me.

I was strongly taken aback by her tone, and had been sure to reprimand her before it got out of hand. What I'd said was true—I didn't take that tone from any of my other children and I wasn't going to bend that rule for her.

I hadn't meant to scare her.

"Esme?" I asked, walking into the kitchen. I found my wife by the sink, rinsing off some vegetables for her soup.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently, turning to me with a carrot in her hand. "Is Bella alright?"

"She's in a bad mood," I said carefully. "She and Emmett fought."

"About what?" she asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. She's pretty upset."

Esme just put the carrot down on the table, nudging Jake out of the doorway, and made her way down to Bella's bedroom.

Jake made to follow her, having tried every trick to get into Bella's bedroom. The dog wanted her back, and I knew she missed him, but she needed to get over the stress of travel before we let her sleep with him again. Stress lowered the immune system, and the dog was germy… she was immunocomprimised enough.

"No," I said, making the dog turn to me. He stared at me for a moment, seeming to deliberate before he turned back around and tried to leave.

"Come here, Jake," I said. "Come."

The dog, much as I expected, ignored me and kept on his path.

"Jake, get over here!" I barked. "Now!"

He backtracked, sitting himself moodily in the corner while I pulled out a stool at the island counter.

It was a full, awkward twenty minutes before Esme returned, looking troubled.

"I tucked her in and she's asleep," she said. "I'll save her some soup and have her eat later on."

"Did she tell you what the problem was?" I asked, curious.

"Yes."

That was it—_yes. _No explanation, not elaboration, just _yes._

"What is it?"

She remained silent, resuming her dinner preparation instead.

"Esme?"

"She's made a decision," said Esme gently. "A big one, and Emmett's displeased."

"What decision?" I asked, nervous. "What does she want?"

"It's not something she wants," corrected Esme. "It's something she feels obligated to do. Emmett pointed that out, and she got defensive. You know how Emmett's temper can be."

"What does she want to do?" I asked, losing patience. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine," said Esme easily. "I just think she's growing up a little, and it's upset Emmett."

"What does she want to do?"

"She wants to testify," said Esme gently, watching me carefully.

I stared at her, wondering if I'd heard correctly. Of all the things she could have said, that was the one thing I'd least expected.

"Why?" I said, shocked. "Why would she want to do that?"

"She feels obligated," Esme repeated, "but she's very adamant."

"She can't go to Arizona," I said, alarmed. "She's not well enough—"

"She won't be going alone," said Esme gently. "She'll be going with one of us."

"You want her to go?" I asked, amazed.

"I want her to do what feels right to _her,"_ she said gently. "If she wants to testify, she should be allowed to. If she chooses not to testify, she shouldn't be forced."

I was baffled and surprised by the sudden turn of events, but I couldn't say I found it strange anymore. Bella, despite her fear of James Dupont, she was a stubborn girl with an inherent need for justice.

Bella, now that she was really _living, _would want to see Dupont incarcerated.

"I'll talk to her later," I said gently. "The trial won't be for a while yet."

"That's good," said Esme softly. "Just be sure to respect her opinion and her decision."

I didn't answer, knowing very well that I hadn't respected Bella's opinion earlier.

_Until what?_ She wasn't done talking until…

She was right… until I said so.

It was hardly fair of me to say that. She'd been the baby for far too long, and she'd never expressed any desire to make her own choices. She went with what she was told to do, and did what was asked of her without hesitation.

Bella was growing up, just as Esme had said. She was growing up, and she was wanting to make her own choices. If she wanted to testify against her attacker, she had every right to do so.

As long as her health was good enough, I would escort her down to Arizona. As long as she was sure it was what she really wanted to do, I would make sure she was supported.

That girl deserved our support above all else.

"How long until dinner?" I asked gently.

"About an hour," said Esme. "I'll call you when it's done."

ooOoo

Dinner was awkward, to say the least. Alice had set the table, noting my tension, and Jasper, Rosalie and Edward had all come down together.

We were already seated when Emmett came in, tossing himself down in his seat and refusing to look up. Esme and I ignored it, but the kids weren't as discrete.

"What's the matter with you?" asked Alice.

"Nothing."

Esme began to dish the soup, passing the ladle to Edward once she was done. Edward, watching Emmett closely, dished his dinner before he passed the spoon along.

"Bella's not coming?" he asked, looking at me. "Is she feeling alright?"

"She's just tired sweetheart," said Esme. "She's eating later on."

"I thought she wanted to eat with us," said Edward, pushing. "She wanted to be home, and to be normal…"

"She's sleeping and not eating, Edward, let it go," snapped Emmett, slamming the spoon down in his bowl. "For Christ's sake, leave her alone!"

"Emmett!" gasped Esme.

"No!" he cried. "All he does is hover over her, touch her, whisper to her… goddamn it, it's sickening! She's just a kid!"

Edward, angry, put his spoon down in his bowl and turned his attention to his brother.

"When Bella tells me to leave her alone, I'll be more than happy to," he said.

His voice was too calm, and I knew he was very angry.

"What, you think chasing after her all the time is making her happy?" asked Emmett. "Fuck, she's probably sick of looking at you by now!"

"You're one to talk," Edward fired back. "Who do you think you are, trying to control her? She's been controlled enough in her life, don't you think?"

"You little—" said Emmett dangerously, rising from his seat. "Fuck you!"

"Fuck you right back!" he shouted.

"Leave my sister alone," said Emmett. "I'm warning you right now…"

"No."

"No?" asked Emmett, looking quite dangerous. "You know, Edward, if you make me choose between you and her, you know who it'll be."

"I'm not asking you to choose," said Edward. "I'm asking you to mind your own business."

"No."

"And there's the problem," he said darkly. "There's the _fucking _problem with you. You think you own her, or that she owes you something—"

"She doesn't owe me anything!" he shouted, standing up. His chair flew back as he stormed around the table. Esme looked quite forlorn, and a little fearful as Emmett approached his brother. He was right in front of Edward before both were standing, face to face.

"Really?" taunted Edward. "Seems that way- you seem to want her to kiss your fucking feet—"

With those words, Emmett's fist flew out in front of him, colliding with Edward's jaw. Alice screamed, jumping out of her seat before Jasper sat her back down and stood, ready to disengage the two.

Edward, not one to be shoved around, reached out and clocked Emmett right back.

"Enough!" shouted Esme, on her feet as well. "Stop!"

The two boys struggled with each other, each trying to overtake the other. Fists flew and bodies hit the wall as the two fought.

"Fuck you!" I heard Emmett shout. "Fuck you!"

"Get off of me!" cried Edward. "Fuck, you're crazy!"

"Stay away from my sister!"

"Get off!"

"_Stop!"_

"Damn it!" said Jasper, nearly leaping over the table in his haste. "How old are you two, five?"

Jasper managed to get between the two fighters, pulling Emmett back from Edward. Both had split lips while Emmett had a black eye and Edward had a bruised jaw.

Jasper held Emmett's arms, making sure he wouldn't leap again as Esme went and stood between them.

"You two are as bad as cavemen," she said angrily. She rounded on Emmett. "How dare you hit him?"

"How dare _I?" _he demanded. "I'd take a good, hard look at your little golden boy over there before you start on me."

"Watch yourself," I said angrily.

I didn't like his tone, or his behavior.

"Oh fuck off, Carlisle," he said. "You know damn well that Eddie does no wrong."

"That's not true, and you know it," I said, rising. "Esme, go get some ice."

Esme, tearful, moved out of the dining area to the kitchen, where I knew she'd take her time sifting through the freezer.

"What is _wrong _with you?" asked Alice suddenly, her voice thin and fearful as she glanced at her brother.

Emmett turned and stared at her, breathing heavily.

"Nothing."

"Oh fuck you," she said. "Lie all you want, I don't care anymore."

She rose from the table and dashed out of the room, leaving Rosalie seated and looking quite unhappy.

Emmett glanced at her before she rose and left the room, looking straight ahead the entire time. Emmett let his head fall before he looked back up at me, his rage fizzling out.

"You can't honestly let her go," he said brokenly. "You can't let her go back!"

"Go back where?" asked Edward, his hand holding the bruise on his face. "What's he talking about?"

"Bella wants to testify," I said gently. "Apparently she mentioned it to Emmett."

"Again with the control," said Edward angrily. Emmett's eyes flashed as he turned back.

"You—"

"You want to stop her," interrupted Edward. "Damn it, Emmett, if she wants to, let her go."

"She can't—"

"She didn't want to," said Edward easily. "She was against it, and when that bitch pushed it, she ended up losing her heart. Now she wants to go, and it's _you _causing the problems."

"I'm not causing—"

"You _are _causing problems," he returned. "Why can't you just respect what she wants?"

"She doesn't want to!" he shouted. "Damn it, Edward, she doesn't want to testify! She's doing it because she thinks it'll make me happy!"

"Are you that conceited?" he demanded. "Are you arrogant enough to think she'd do that just because you want her to?"

"I _don't _want her to!" he shouted. "I want her to stay home and get better!"

"She's doing it for her," continued Edward. "She's doing it for peace of mind and closure. I think she deserves that much."

"She only brought it up because of me," he said. "I told her I was angry with him, and she told me she'd testify. She doesn't want to."

"Let her decide what she wants," he spat. "Don't let yourself become another controlling man in her life."

"I'm not controlling!" cried Emmett, frustrated. "I'm just—"

"_I'll tie you to the bed if I have to?" _shouted Edward. "How is that not controlling?"

"Fuck off, I wasn't talking to you," he said. "Eavesdropping?"

"More like walking by," Edward replied. "You're loud, you know."

"I was just mad," he said. "Bella knows that—"

"Does she?" he asked. "Does she really know?"

Emmett fell silent, closing his eyes as Jasper let go of his arms.

"Don't go throwing punches again," he warned, taking a step back.

Emmett didn't move, and the room was oddly silent before Esme returned, tissue in hand and two bags of frozen vegetables wrapped in tea towels. She handed one to Edward, making sure he had it placed properly before she turned to Emmett.

I could tell my wife was angry and hurt as she handed the last bundle to Emmett, not speaking one word to him before she disappeared through the doorway again.

Emmett looked very sorry as he watched his mother go, knowing the words she'd shouted at her weren't at all deserved.

"Where'd Rose go?" he asked, looking at me.

"I have no idea," I said icily. "I guess you two upset her."

Emmett fell silent, glancing towards the door. Without another word to anyone, he took four big steps and was through the door, leaving myself and my other two sons alone in the dining room.

"Keep the ice on that," I said to Edward. "You'll be sore tomorrow."

"I'm going to see Bella," he announced boldly, daring me to contradict him.

"Don't wake her if she's asleep," I warned. "She needs rest."

He nodded curtly and disappeared as well.

"You need to talk to Emmett," said Jasper softly. "He's overwhelmed."

I nodded, knowing very well my son and I needed to talk. Never had I seen Emmett lash out like that, and I wasn't about to let him start now.

Twenty years old or not.

"I'm going to find Alice," he said gently. "She's upset."

"Alright," I said gently, watching as my calmest son left the room, leaving me alone.

I left the room too, glancing at the remnants of the abandoned dinner before I made my way to the sitting room. On the way, I passed the music room and the guest room, noting the occupants.

Bella's door was closed and the dog was leaning up against the door, snoring. I nudged him aside and gently peeked in, glad to see Bella sound asleep and unaware of the conflict her decision had made.

The music room, however, was definitely occupied and full of life. I could hear Edward playing, the notes echoing through the room as he composed. It had been a while since Edward had written a new song, and despite the fact that he'd fought with Emmett, I was glad to know he still had his creative muse.

My house was strangely quiet and tense, and I knew I didn't like it.

I retreated to my study, trying to make sense of what had transpired.

ooOoo

Two hours after the fight in the dining room, I found myself outside Bella's room once again. I nudged the dog away, making sure he didn't follow me inside as I knocked and waited for an answer.

"Come in," she said, her voice thick with tears.

Not ten minutes ago, Bella had learned about the fight between Emmett and Edward. Edward had tried to brush it aside, but Bella was perceptive and had deduced what had happened.

When she'd seen Edward walk in with his bruised cheek and split lip, she knew the two had been fighting. Needless to say, it had upset her.

"How are you?" I asked, peeking inside. I wasn't sure if she was still as fiery and temperamental as she'd been before, and I didn't want to upset her again.

"Okay, I guess," she shrugged, watching me bashfully. I entered the room, closing the door behind me, and made my way to the chair by the bed.

"Are you sore?"

"Not too bad," she said quietly. "I'm not tired anymore."

"That's good," I said. "Will you sleep tonight, do you think?"

"Probably."

There was a moment of silence before I spoke again.

"Esme says you're thinking of testifying," I said gently. "Is that what had you so mad earlier?"

She glanced over at me, her eyes bright and wary, and nodded.

"Don't be afraid," I said gently. "I'm not mad."

"Emmett is," she said, taking a deep breath. "He's mad at me for—"

"He's not angry with you," I said gently. "He's angry with the situation and he has a short fuse."

"I don't like it," she said.

"How long have you been thinking of testifying?" I asked. She blushed.

"Since I woke up and found out what Danielle did," she said softly. "I didn't think too hard about it until today."

"Are you sure you really want to?"

"I think so," she said hesitantly. "He hurt me, and I don't want him to hurt anyone else."

"You do understand you don't have to, right?"

"Mhm."

"We can call Arizona, if you'd like, and have them set it up," I offered. "I just want to make sure you're really prepared to go through with it."

"I am."

"You know you'll be cross-examined?" I asked carefully.

"What's that?" she asked.

I sighed, knowing very well that Bella was unfamiliar with the specifics of the judicial system.

"The lawyer from Arizona will prepare a list of questions he or she will want to ask. You'll be able to provide answers, and they'll probably rehearse them with you," I began.

"I won't lie," she said quickly. "I don't want to have to lie."

"You won't," I assured. "They can't _make _you say anything, and it's a very dangerous thing to lie in a courtroom."

"Oh."

"After they ask you the rehearsed questions, Dupont's lawyer will have a chance to question you," I explained. "That lawyer won't be so kind."

"How?" she asked, looking apprehensive.

"He'll try to discredit you," I said. "He'll try to say you're crazy, or you're not remembering correctly. He might even try to say you're outright lying."

"I am not!" she said, offended.

"I know," I said patiently. "He'll try as hard as he can to discredit you. It's his job."

"Oh."

"You can't lose your temper," I warned. "You can't talk back or shout."

She just frowned, not liking her newfound sense of freedom being revoked in the courtroom.

"Are you ready for that?" I asked gently. "Do you think you'll be able to deal with that?"

"I don't know," she said, finally, looking forlorn. "I'm going to have to."

"No you don't," I said gently. "You can change your mind."

"I don't want to change my mind," she said frustratedly. "I want to make sure he goes to jail."

"I understand that," I said. "I really do, but I want you to think about it."

"I don't need to think about it," she said. "I've thought about it for months. I lost my heart thinking about it."

"I know," I said sadly. "That's why you need to be completely sure. I also want you to discuss your choice with Carmen."

"Okay," she said. "I kind of miss Carmen."

I smiled, happy that Bella had grown comfortable with her therapist in such a short time.

"Sleep on your decision," I said, earning me a frown.

"What?"

"Wait until tomorrow before you say for sure," I said. "I'll respect whichever choice you make, as long as you're sure."

"Okay."

"Don't mind what your brother thinks, either," I said. Her face darkened. "He's just upset."

"He fought," she said weakly. "He _hit _Edward."

"If I recall correctly, Edward hit back."

She shivered and I took her hand gently.

She didn't jerk away.

"I'm sorry I was rude before," she said suddenly, watching me earnestly. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"I know."

"No, really," she insisted. "It wasn't very nice."

"I know, but it's done now."

"Okay," she said, sitting back against her pillows. She watched me interestedly for a long moment before she spoke.

"Can I see Jake yet?" she asked.

"You're still weak," I said softly. "You need to get a little stronger first."

"Please?" she asked. "I miss him and I _know_ he sits outside the door. He's been crying."

"We'll see," I said. "Do you think you'd like to sit in the front room for a while?"

"Yes," she said eagerly.

"Alright," I smiled. "Do you want help?"

"Maybe," she said carefully, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. I watched happily as she drew herself to her feet, focusing intently as she took a few steps.

"Just wait," I said. "Let me find someone to take Jake to the front room before you leave. Otherwise he'll try to knock you over."

She just grinned, stopping and waiting.

"Esme?" I called, opening the door. The dog, as always, was perched on his haunches outside the room, his tail thumping. Esme, still upset, appeared, her eyes red and sad.

"Could you bring the dog into the front room?" I asked. "Bella's coming to sit, and I don't want him knocking her down."

She smiled, grabbing the collar.

"Come on," she said to the dog. "Tell Bella I'll be out in a moment. I'll bring her dinner with me."

"Alright."

Esme and the dog disappeared, and I smiled.

"Safe," I called, opening the door. Bella took a few more slow steps, making it to the door before I took her hand and walked with her.

She was doing very well, given the circumstances.

"Is Jake there?" she asked again, growing more and more excited.

"Esme's got him," I said. "You'll see the dog and Esme's bringing you some soup for dinner."

"Is it good?" she asked, turning to me.

"I'd imagine it is," I said gently. She frowned at my phrasing, but didn't comment.

"Where would you like to sit?" I asked, glancing around the room. She chose the loveseat closest to her, plunking down in the seat carefully.

Esme waited in the doorway, encasing the dog in the kitchen when he whined.

"Hi Jakey," said Bella cheerfully, her cheeks coloring as Esme smiled.

"Are you ready for him?" she asked, knowing very well that Jake would bowl over everyone and everything in his haste.

"Mhm."

Esme's foot moved to unblock the doorway and in that same moment, Jake emerged, tail waving frantically. I watched as he bounded across the room, leaping up onto the seat next to Bella and licked her face.

"No," she said sternly, knowing better than to let him lick her face. "Down."

Jake, always obedient to his favorite, laid down and let his tail thump the back of the seat. Bella leaned forward and nuzzled the ruff of fur around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Hi puppy," she cooed.

The dog ate it right up, letting Bella praise him and his terrible impatience. He licked at her fingers, making her giggle

"Oh yes, I know," she said in a sing-song voice, nodding to him.

I was amused.

"I know puppy," she said again. "Such a nice boy."

Esme let out a small sniffle before she retreated back to her kitchen, the reunion sparking more tears.

"Was Marcus nice to you?" she asked. "I'll bet he was. Where is Marcus?" she asked, turning to me.

"Gone out for dinner," I said gently. "He's in Port Angeles for the evening."

"Was he good to you, puppy?" she asked. "Was he kind?"

Jake just whined, wiggling happily as Bella scratched his chin.

"You're my sweet boy," she said, leaning in close.

He licked her nose, and she scolded him again. A few more moments passed and Bella laid her head down on Jake's side, letting her legs hang over the edge of the loveseat.

"Where's Alice?"

"Upstairs," I said. "Dinner upset her."

"Hm," she said, disapproving. "They shouldn't have fought."

"But they did," I said simply. "We can't change that now."

"Here we are," said Esme suddenly, returning from the kitchen with a bowl of soup and some toast. "You need to eat."

Bella sat up as Esme placed the food on a folding table, setting it before her.

"Thanks, Esme," she said. "Are you sad?"

"No," she lied easily. "I'm fine."

Bella frowned, easily seeing the lie, but took a bite of soup anyways. Her eyes lit up and she smiled, taking a second.

"I've missed real food," she said. "It's about time."

Both Esme and I laughed, watching the dog carefully as he eyed her toast. He leaned for it and before I could scold him, Bella shoved him back, snatching it away.

"Get your own," she told him.

"Mom, I—"

Everyone stopped as Emmett came down the stairs, his bruised face downcast. Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes found Bella, and he stared.

"Um…"

Bella ignored him and took another bite, patting Jake on the head.

"Hey Bell."

She ignored him, eating steadily.

"Nice boy," she said, leaning closer to Jake.

She handed him the toast, and the dog ate it right up.

"I'm not hungry," she announced suddenly, putting the half-eaten bowl of soup aside.

"Bella…" said Emmett, sounding very guilty.

"What?" she snapped, her voice laced with venom.

"I…"

"You what? You're going to tie me up?" she demanded, suddenly tearful. Jake, ever vigilant, rose to his feet and stood before her, nervous.

Emmett didn't reply, simply watching as his sister rose to her feet.

"Bell, I'm—"

"Come on, Jakey," she said, interrupting him. "Bedtime."

Jake trotted next to her as Bella motored back to the guest room, leaving her brother with us. We all heard her door slam shut, and I knew then just how badly Emmett had hurt her.

Emmett retreated without a word, moving back up the stairs and leaving a familiar tension in his wake.

**A/N: Again, if you don't like it, don't read it.**


	43. Chapter 42

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 42**

**A/N: Thanks again for all the support... and thanks to the anonymous reviewer for coming forward and explaining. It takes courage to take credit for misinterpreted words.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

BPOV

Ever since I'd come home from the hospital, my life had been filled with hardships. There had been problem after problem, no matter what I did or where I went.

Firstly, Jake had woken up in the middle of the night because a raccoon had been ratcheting around outside the window. He'd jumped out of bed and barked at it, trying to get out the window before I could get out of bed, still half-asleep, and try to tame him.

He'd pushed me down and knocked the wind out of me just as Carlisle was coming inside, earning my puppy an angry earful. Jake had hurt me, and Carlisle had decided to spend the rest of the night in the room with me to make sure I was okay.

Secondly, I was still fighting with my brother. I didn't care that he'd sat in front of me every morning at breakfast, or that he always tried to say sorry. I didn't care that Edward had fought with him too, telling him that he needed to leave me alone.

I didn't care that Emmett was sorry and that he hadn't meant to hurt me. I didn't care, and I didn't plan to start caring any time soon.

Emmett had scared me, and that's all there was to it. Every time I looked at him, I heard his voice threatening me. I saw his large frame hovering over me as he tied me to the bed, just like Felix had and just like the Doctor had.

Emmett was just like they were, and I was a fool not to have seen it sooner.

Alice was upset that we were fighting, Rosalie was torn between pleasing the two of us and Esme didn't like the animosity one bit, but I wasn't budging.

My brother was hurtful, and that's all there was to it.

I would testify if I wanted to, and he wouldn't stop me. Emmett couldn't control me if I didn't let him.

Today, though, was a special day for me. Today, Carlisle had promised me that we were going to call Arizona and tell one of the agents I wanted to testify. He'd promised me that Danielle wouldn't be the one talking, and he'd promised me that Marcus would make sure that all the questions were alright.

Marcus, it was decided, was staying back in Forks, leaving his top workers in charge of his law firm in Seattle. Marcus wasn't as scary as I'd thought, and because he'd taken such good care of Jake while I was gone, I decided to like him a little.

He could sit next to me at dinner, if he wanted to. I'd let him that close.

Now, I was just waiting for Carlisle to be finished in his office before he would call Arizona with me and tell the FBI that I wanted to speak in court. I knew there'd be a lot of people, I knew I might cry, I knew they might have papers and videos and all sorts of evidence, I knew I'd be cross-examined and I even knew that the Doctor might be in the room with me.

I knew all of these things, and I still wanted to go. I'd lost my heart, for heaven's sake… I didn't want that evil, wretched man to hurt anyone else.

"Waiting for Carlisle?"

I glanced towards the staircase, where my brother stood. His face was cranky-looking, as he usually was nowadays, and as always, I ignored him.

"Bella come on," he said softly. "Say something, at least."

I tried not to cry as I looked around for Jake.

Jake wouldn't let Emmett hurt me… Jake didn't like Emmett much.

"Bella, I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. "I'm _very_ sorry."

I backed up and turned around, determined to get out of his way… what if he did tie me up?

"No, Bell, don't," he said quickly, trying to follow as I scurried away. "Don't go—"

I went.

I slammed the door to my bedroom behind me, hearing Emmett's heavy sigh and his footsteps retreating as I listened at the door.

Jake whined, watching me from my bed.

"There you are," I said. "Come here."

He meandered over lazily, stopping at my legs for a pat. I obliged gently, just before the phone in my bedroom rang.

All the phones were connected, and I knew who it must have been.

"Hello?" I asked, picking it up.

"Bella, please don't hang up," said Emmett quickly, shocking me. I held the phone carefully, listening.

I was expecting Carlisle.

"I'm sorry, Boo," he said gently. "Please hear me out."

I listened, making no promises.

"I was being an idiot," he said. "I wasn't thinking before I spoke. You know I'd never hurt you."

Did I?

"I was just scared of you leaving," he admitted. "I would _never _tie you to anything, no matter how mad I was. I just don't want you going back to Arizona."

I took a deep breath.

"Are you there?"

"Yes." It was the most I'd spoken to him in just over a week.

"God, Bella," he said breathily. "Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad," I said honestly.

He'd scared me... I was more scared than mad.

"What?"

"Bella?" called Carlisle, just outside my door.

"I've got to go," I said quickly. "Carlisle's here."

"Wait Bella—"

I hung up the phone just as Carlisle opened the door. He peeked inside, smiling.

"Are you ready?"

ooOoo

"You're sure?" asked Carlisle, watching me carefully from beside me.

It was the first time I'd ever sat on the same side of the desk as him… I sort of liked it.

"I'm sure," I said. "As long as I don't have to talk to _her."_

"Danielle has been reassigned," said Carlisle softly. "She's lost her credentials as a social worker and is no longer qualified to work with children. She's lucky not to have been fired outright. She settled before we could take it to court."

"What court?" I demanded, having heard nothing of this before.

"I had Marcus draw up some papers," he explained gently. "It'll never cover what she's done to you, but it'll help you get on your feet, once you're ready to be on your own."

"She paid you?"

"She paid _you," _Carlisle corrected. "She settled for a lump sum."

"How much?"

"Not important right now," he said, brushing the matter aside. "What's important now is that we get ourselves prepared for the upcoming conversation."

"Do I have to talk?" I asked.

"You might," he said. "It'll be an agent and maybe a lawyer. I'm not exactly sure."

"Okay."

Carlisle picked up the phone and held the Arizona business card in his hand, dialing the number.

"Carlisle Cullen for Adrian Costner."

I watched Carlisle's face as he waited, and I watched him even closer when he was put through. He introduced himself again, speaking directly to this Mister Costner.

They exchanged small talk as I waited, listening to every word.

"Bella's decided to testify," he said carefully, watching my reaction.

I felt only a small twinge of fear at the thought—nowhere near as painful as I'd expected.

I heard Adrian Costner's excited voice over the other end of the phone.

"No, she decided all on her own," said Carlisle. "After the business with Agent Ford, she's reconsidered."

"Yes, she's right here next to me," he said. "Of course."

And then, Carlisle handed the telephone to me.

"Hello?"

"Hello Isabella," said the man. "I'm Special Agent Adrian Costner. Do you remember me?"

"Remember you?"

"I was the one who took you out of that hospital," he said. "After we'd gained access to the interior, I found you."

Oh.

"Um…" I began, not wanting to offend him.

"Don't worry about it, honey," he said gently. "I didn't expect you to remember."

"Thank you," I said suddenly, remembering my manners.

"You're very welcome. So Mr. Cullen tells me you're thinking of testifying?" he asked.

"Mhm."

"Why the change of heart?" he asked. "I thought you didn't want to come down?"

"I didn't," I said honestly. "I changed my mind."

"Why's that?"

"Because he needs to be in jail," I said. "He needs to be put away where he can't hurt other people."

"That's a good reason," said Adrian gently. "Why'd you decide to change your mind now, though? He always needed to be put away."

I thought for a moment.

"Because he's the reason I lost my heart," I said. Carlisle's hand came down on my shoulder, grounding me. "Danielle set it off, but if he hadn't made me take his medicine, I'd still have my heart and I wouldn't have to wear masks to go outside. I wouldn't need medicine either, and I'd be able to go to school and I wouldn't be afraid of other people and I wouldn't be fighting with Emmett."

I felt tears brimming with the last statement.

"Why are you fighting with Emmett?" he asked.

"Because we fought and Emmett doesn't want me to go back to Arizona."

I left it at that.

"Alright," he said gently. "Are you going to let your brother coax you out of it?"

"No," I said firmly. "He can't make me do anything."

Adrian just chuckled.

"Sounds like you and Emmett are getting on just fine," he said happily.

"We're fighting," I said, confused. "We aren't getting along at all."

He laughed again, leaving the cryptic words lingering in my mind.

How were Emmett and I "getting on" if I was refusing to even speak to him?

"Do you understand what testifying entails?" he asked.

"I'd have to talk, and my lawyer would ask questions, and _his _lawyer would ask questions, and I'd be cross-examined and I might cry and _he _might be there."

"Right," said Adrian. "Did Doctor Cullen warn you that Victoria, Laurent and Felix might be present as well?"

"No," I said, fearful.

"The trials for Victoria, Felix and Laurent are in the weeks before the trial of James Dupont," he explained. "Laurent's first, Victoria's second and Felix's third. Would you be willing to testify against Felix and Victoria as well?"

"Maybe."

"Give it a bit of thought," he said. "We can arrange the trials so that you wouldn't have to spend more than a few weeks down here."

"Okay."

"Okay you understand or okay you'll testify?"

"Okay I'll testify," I said reluctantly, trying to keep the image of the redheaded nurse and the bulky orderly out of my head.

"Great," he said, sounding satisfied and a bit excited. "I'll get my team together and we'll put together a list of questions we'd like you to answer. Marcus Cullen is covering your case?" he asked.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask Carlisle."

"I'll do that," he said gently. "Thank you for changing your mind, Isabella. It'll help us a great deal."

"My name's Bella," I blurted out suddenly. "You can call me Bella."

"Bella," he said softly. "Thank you."

"Do you want to talk to Carlisle now?" I asked.

"Yes please."

I passed the phone back up to Carlisle, both proud and worried.

What had I gotten myself into?

ooOoo

"Why don't you go upstairs and look for a book?" said Alice gently. "I'm sure you can make it that far."

I hadn't been upstairs at all since I'd returned home.

"Maybe," I agreed. "Which one should I read?"

"Whichever one you want," said Jasper, glancing up from his own novel. "I'll help you, if you need it."

"Maybe," I said again. "I want to try by myself first."

"Great," he said, enthused. "It's a good idea to try to read on your own. Can I make a suggestion?"

"Sure."

"Save Wuthering Heights for later," he said. "It's a little advanced, and I want you to be able to fully appreciate the text instead of spending too much time trying to decipher the wording."

"Alright," I agreed.

Jasper knew how badly I wanted to read that book, but he also knew how badly I wanted to _understand _that book.

"Try a contemporary novel," he said. "Maybe _The Lovely Bones_ will pique your interest."

"Maybe."

Everything was _maybe _today.

"Do you think I'll get upstairs on my own, Alice?"

"I can't see why not," she reasoned. "You've been doing very well. You took your medication, didn't you?"

"Mhm." Esme had made sure of it.

"Then I think you'll be fine. Just take it slow."

"If you're sure…" I said carefully.

"I am," she said earnestly. "Give it a go and see how far you get."

"What if I get stuck halfway up?" I said, worried.

"I'll send someone to rescue you," she teased. "I'm sure Jasper would rescue the damsel in distress on the staircase."

I flushed bright red, turning away from her.

"Where's Edward?"

"Being moody in his bedroom," snipped Alice. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

"He's allowed to be cranky if he wants to be," I defended. "Maybe he's having a bad day."

I hadn't spent any time with Edward since my return… he'd visited me in my room a few times, but only for a few minutes before school. Of course, I saw him at dinner and at breakfast and sometimes at lunch, but only for a little while and always in front of everyone else.

"Yeah, I guess," said Alice dismissively. "Ask him if he's going to want dinner, while you're up there."

"He always eats dinner," I argued.

"Not when he's this cranky," scoffed Alice. "He'll eat later, if he thinks he'll upset everyone else."

"Oh."

I stood, making my way to the staircase.

"Just call down if you need help," said Jasper gently, peeking over the top of his book. "Alice wasn't joking when she said I'd help."

"Thanks Jasper," I murmured, smiling briefly before I turned to the daunting staircase.

"_Pace yourself," _Carlisle had said. _"Don't try too much too soon."_

Was this too much too soon?

I guess now was the time to find out.

The first flight was easy enough, and I was confident by the time I reached the second floor landing.

Emmett's door was closed and I could see Rosalie lying on her bed, earphones in place and her foot bobbing to the beat of her music. She glanced up, smiling, and waved at me, earning her a wave back.

"Be careful with Eddie," she warned, taking out one of her ear buds. "He doesn't take kindly to intruders when he's crabby."

So Alice had said.

"Okay."

"See you at dinner," she said. "Have fun upstairs."

I just grinned at her, returning to my venture. There were two more flight of stairs in my way, but I was determined.

It had been two and a half weeks since I'd come home, and three and a half weeks since my surgery. I'd seen Doctor Denali more times than I cared to count, and Carmen was coming to visit me tonight.

I was doing well, and it was about time I got on with my life.

The last two flights of stairs were easier than I'd anticipated, and before long, I found myself having an anticlimactic reunion with the top floor of the house.

Nothing was special about this floor… just three closed doors hiding three rooms—my real room that was being used by Marcus, Carlisle's study and Edward's bedroom.

My door was closed too, and I wondered whether or not Marcus was busy in there. Adrian had said that he was going to call him and talk about the trials this morning…

I didn't want to bug him, but I didn't want my adventure to have been for nothing.

Crabby or not, I decided to knock on Edward's door instead. I could hear his soft classical music through the door before my knuckles tapped gently.

"What?"

So he _was _crabby. I recoiled at the venom in his voice, wondering what happened to put him in such a bad mood.

"What?" he snapped again, closer to the door this time. I felt my chest tighten with anxiety as I turned around determined to make my way back downstairs. I was almost at the staircase when I heard his door open.

"What—Bella?" he asked, his voice changing almost instantly.

"Sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't mean to bug you—"

"No!" he said quickly. "Come on in. I'm fine."

"Not if you want to be by yourself," I said, knowing full well how miserable it was to have an unwanted pest chasing you wherever you went.

Emmett didn't know such courtesy.

"No, come on in," he said. "I've missed you."

Those words—_I've missed you—_were what drove me to act.

"Okay."

"Great," he said, sounding much happier as he led me towards his door. I followed him inside, closing the door softly behind me.

Even when he was angry, he was still very nice looking.

"When did you decide to come upstairs?" he asked.

"I was watching TV with Alice and Jasper was reading so I decided I wanted to read too. Marcus might be in my room though, and I don't want to bug him."

"Ah, Uncle won't mind you going in to get something," he said easily. "Come on."

"No, I'm fine," I said quickly. "He's busy."

"With what?" he asked.

"Adrian said he'd call him," I explained.

Edward's face darkened, and I watched him carefully.

"Who's Adrian?" he asked, unhappy once more.

"The agent in Arizona," I said. "He was nice on the phone."

"Oh." Edward was happy again. "You called already?"

"Carlisle called," I corrected. "He told me to wait a few days before I made my final decision, and I waited over a week."

"Right."

"I've decided to testify three times," I divulged. "Once for Felix, once for Vicky and once for _him."_

"Not for that other guy?" he asked.

"Laurent wasn't mean to me," I said honestly. "He barely spoke to me."

"He still held you captive," said Edward darkly. "I think he deserves to be punished as much as the other three."

"He didn't ask me to testify for Laurent."

"Well, good for you," he said, his voice genuine. "I'm proud of you for making that choice."

"Thanks," I said. "So's Alice."

"As she should be," he said gently. "She loves you."

"I know."

There was a moment of silence before Edward spoke again.

"Come and sit," he said, gesturing to his leather sofa. "I don't want you getting overtired."

"I'm not overtired," I said grumpily. "Everyone thinks I'm a baby."

"We just worry about you," he said gently, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I think we have a right to."

"I guess so."

He just chuckled, setting me down on the cushion next to his.

"What made you come up here to see me?" he asked. "I'm guessing Alice told you I was in a bad mood?"

"_Are _you in a bad mood?" I challenged.

"I was," he admitted. "Not anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because you're here now," he said gently. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too."

He just grinned again, pulling me into his side. I curled my feet up under me, warming them up.

Edward's room was always a little cool… he liked it that way.

"Are you getting anywhere with Em?" he asked carefully, making me frown.

"He tried again this morning and then he called the phone in my room and said sorry. He thinks I'm mad at him."

"Aren't you?" he asked, confused.

"I'm not mad anymore," I said. "He scared me."

"Understandable," said Edward. "I'd be scared too, if I were you."

"He had no right to say that to me," I said shakily. "I trusted him, and he wanted to hurt me."

"He didn't _want _to hurt you," said Edward, aghast. "He was just mad."

"I thought you were mad at him too?" I asked, kind of hoping he still was. I didn't want to be the only one with a grudge.

"I'm angry with the way he's going about things," he corrected. "I don't like that he's chasing you around, but I can understand his reasons."

I groaned, pressing my face into his shoulder. "I want you to be on my side."

"I am on your side," he said, amused. "I agree that you have a right to be angry."

"He's the angry one, not me," I argued. "I'm scared of him, Edward."

"Why?"

"Because he threatened me," I said, looking up at him. "He said he'd tie me up, just like the Doctor did."

"He would never," said Edward gently. "You know Emmett would never act on those words. Emmett doesn't always think before he speaks."

"I know," I groaned. "Just give me time, okay? I'm sure I'll like him again soon."

"Alright," he laughed. "Let's move on to happier topics."

"Carmen's coming this evening," I said, oddly excited. "I kind of miss her."

"I know you do," he said. "She hasn't been around in a long time."

"Why?"

"Too busy, I guess," he said. "Mom's been busy and she has her practice… it makes things hard."

"I like Carmen."

"I can't imagine anyone who doesn't," he said. "I've never met someone who didn't like her."

"Esme and Carlisle want her to talk to me again," I said softly.

"I know," he said. "You've been through a lot in a short time. Sometimes it's good to talk to a third party."

"What party?"

"A third party," he said, amused. "Someone not directly involved with the conflict."

"Right," I said, "a third party."

Edward fell silent again, leaving only the sound of the classical music through the speakers. I wasn't sure what to say, and he seemed deep in thought.

"I've really missed you," he said again, looking up at me with his funny green eyes. "_Really _missed you."

"Me too," I began, right before he cut me off.

"No," he said quickly. "Bella, I don't think I've missed anyone like I missed you these past weeks."

I just watched him.

"I just…" he began, trailing off quietly. "God, I don't even know what."

Edward looked very torn and very sad, and I didn't like it one bit. I liked him better happy, and not so conflicted.

I reached over and hugged him, determined to make his crooked smile reappear. His arms returned the favor, snaking around me with his hand resting on my hair. He was very conscious of my incision, being careful not to disturb any stitches or gauze.

"Sorry," he said gently, his breath tickling my ear. "I don't mean to be so emotional."

I just held on, not wanting him to let go either.

"I don't like it when you're gone," he said. "I want you here, always."

_Always._

"Even when I'm old?" I blurted, resting my cheek on his shoulder.

"Even then," he said, laughing. "I'll always want you around."

"You'll get married someday," I said dreamily. "You'll find a wife and have babies."

"No, I don't think I will," he said sadly. "I'm not sure I want to find a wife."

"Why not?" I asked. Edward didn't deserve to be alone.

"Because I've already got my sights set on someone," he informed me.

My heart sank, but I held on anyways.

"Who?"

"A very special girl," he said. "She's wonderful."

"Oh."

"Silly Bella," he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of my head. "You really don't know her?"

"How could I know her?" I asked sadly. "I don't go to school."

"Neither does she," he said. "You've crossed paths a time or two."

I was missing something.

"No," I said, frowning. "Angela Weber?"

Edward barked out a laugh.

"Not Angela," he said. "She's Alice's _school_ friend."

_School friend._

"I don't know her, Edward," I sighed. "I'm sure she'll be happy to love you."

I'd be happy to love him.

"She's smart, even though she doesn't know it," he said. "She's strong, she's beautiful and she's kind."

I didn't know _anyone _like that, and Edward just seemed to grow more and more amused.

"You know her quite well," he said.

"No."

"Bella, yes you do," he said. "You've known her your whole life."

I pulled away and stared at him, seeing nothing but the smoldering green of his irises.

"She's perfect, Bella."

I took a deep breath, reminding myself to breathe evenly when his hands cupped my face.

"You _do_ know her."

I stared.

Surely not…

His forehead touched mine, and he took a very deep, very ragged breath.

"Bella?"

"Yes?" I asked.

"May I kiss you?"

"Yes."

The word was out of my mouth before I had the chance to think about it, and in that same second, I felt Edward's lips on mine. I thanked god for my instincts, glad I hadn't overthought, and just let myself feel.

Three marvelous, incomparable seconds later, he pulled away, leaving me breathless. Smiled broadly as he pulled me back into a hug, letting me hide my face in his warm neck.

"Please tell me that was okay," he said. "Tell me it wasn't too fast—"

"It was perfect."

I spoke nothing but the truth, and managed to remain calm and collected.

Felix had tried to kiss me too, and I'd been kissed on the cheek by my sisters and their mother, but none of those kisses had been anything like Edward's.

I felt tingly and lightheaded, but only in a good way.

"Bella?" called Alice's voice.

"Here!" I cried, pulling back quickly. Edward scowled at the door just before it opened, and Alice peeked her head in.

"Carmen's here to see you," she said, giving the two of us a strange look. "She's having dinner with us."

I rose from my seat without a word, shooting Edward a small smile before I left him on his sofa, scowling at the carpet.

**A/N: About time we get somewhere with these two... it was just so hard to sneak it in! I had to pace it, keep it realistic, keep it cute...**

**Let me know what you think of BxE!**


	44. Chapter 43

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 43**

**A/N: Unedited and rough, but at least it's a chapter! Let me know if you find any errors and/or discrepancies so I can make an effort to fix them and get the chapter up to date. I expect to be able to edit later this week, if all goes as planned.**

**Sorry again for the late update... school's restarted and I've been busy trying to sort out my courses so I can get back into the groove of writing. School stress plus a mean writer's block made for one of the longest chapter waits ever! Never fear, though, I haven't given up on this one.**

**Enjoy the dual POVs!**

EsPOV

The natural progression of life in my household seemed to take its course over the days that followed Carmen's visit to our home. Carmen had come in and Bella had come down, she'd eaten dinner with us and then she'd brought Bella into Carlisle's study on the third floor to conduct a therapy session.

Allowing Bella the time to vent and de-stress was one of the best things that could have happened for her, and I was glad Carmen had the ability to help her.

Carlisle had been busy these past few days dishing out patient files to his coworkers to lengthen his vacation time. I didn't think he noticed many of the changes going on around us.

Carlisle woke up in the morning, ate his breakfast and holed himself up in his office for the morning. Sometimes, he'd come back to eat lunch before checking Bella over and administering medication, but more often than not, he worked straight through.

My Carlisle was unable to keep himself from his work… it meant too much to him.

_I _noticed changes, however.

Bella had come into my house as swiftly and suddenly as an unexpected storm. She'd changed the very dynamics of our household. She had been the focus of attention and the target of our worries since day one.

We knew how she behaved, what she liked and disliked and more importantly, how she interacted with the world around her.

Over the past three days, she'd changed, and I wasn't sure why… she'd been much more at ease and much _happier _than she'd been before.

…I'd also caught her eying Edward.

I didn't know what Carmen had discussed with her or what Bella had shared with her therapist, but I couldn't help but wonder if that was the source of her change.

She'd even taken the first steps in forgiving her brother for his careless comments, showing a great amount of maturity.

Alice and Emmett, I'd been told, took after their late biological mother. Bella, on the other hand, seemed to take more after her late father, Charles.

Charles had been a gentle, kind, quiet man with a stubborn streak and a keen eye.

"Hey mom," said Edward, peeking into the kitchen.

I smiled at him, silently inviting him in and observing him as well.

Edward was a changed boy as well.

"What's going on?" I asked, watching as he sat at the counter, watching me load the dishwasher.

His cheeks tinged pink and I took care to ask careful questions.

"Nothing."

"Where's Bella?"

"Up with Rosalie," he said dismissively. "I think she's having her fingernails painted."

"That's nice."

He made a noncommittal grunt, watching the countertop.

"Is everything alright?"

"Fine," he said quickly, running his hand through his hair. "Perfect."

"Okay," I said skeptically.

"Really mom," he said. "It's all good."

"Sure."

He sighed in frustration, standing once more.

"I'm going to the music room," he declared, leaving me no time to reply before he was out of the room entirely.

Something was going on with him.

The two of them were acting very strangely, and I wasn't sure I liked it.

I placed the last glass in its place before I closed it up, looking around for something more to do. I had no building or decorating projects in the works, and my house was clean as a whistle. I'd already finished repairing the torn sofa cushion and Bella had been given her daily dose of medication.

"Hi Esme."

Speak of the devil.

"Hello sweetheart," I said kindly, hoping I'd get more information from Bella than I had from Edward. "How's your day going?"

"Alright," she said, setting herself at the island counter. I took two glasses down from the cupboard I'd just finished restocking and placed them on the counter, filling each one with juice.

She sipped it gratefully and I settled in next to her.

"Nice fingernails," I commented, seeing the dark blue polish.

"Rosalie did them," she said, her cheeks turning pink. "She thought blue looked good."

"She was right," I said gently. "They're very nice."

"Yeah."

She avoided my gaze, but that didn't stop me from watching her.

"Is everything alright?" I asked carefully. "You look a little stressed."

Her cheeks flamed.

"Fine," she said quickly, her eyes darting around for a way out.

"Are you sure?" I pressed. "I just want to make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine," she said again. "Great."

I watched her.

"Really," she said, trying her best to convince me. "I _am _fine."

"I don't think you are," I said.

"I am."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Her eyes were glued to the granite.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" I asked carefully.

Her eyes widened and the colour drained from her face.

"No," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I didn't do anything, I promise-"

"Relax," I said, slightly taken aback. "I didn't say you did anything wrong."

"Good, 'cause I didn't," she said, still shaken. "I'm absolutely, positively fine."

"Do you know what's up with Edward?"

She looked at me, struggling for words with reddened cheeks.

"Well…" she began, "I…"

She _did_ know.

"You can tell me," I said gently. "Whatever's going on, I won't be mad…"

"Nothing's going on," she said, scandalized. "I mean…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean nothing," she said quickly. "Nothing."

"Bella…" I warned. "Are you two in some kind of trouble?"

"No!" she said. "I've got to go."

She went to stand, only stopping when I took her hand.

"Please sit," I said. "Talk to me."

I was growing worried.

"Talk about what?" she asked. "Everything's fine and nothing's going on and Edward's not in trouble."

"Are _you _in trouble?" I asked gently.

"No!"

"Sit."

She sat, albeit awkwardly, and watched me carefully.

"Please tell me what's going on," I said. "I like to know these things about my children."

"Nothing."

"Please?"

"Nothing," she said again, insistent.

"I know you're lying," I said easily. She blanched again and made to leave, but I stopped her. "I'm not upset, I just want to know the truth."

"I…"

"Yes?"

"I kissed him!" she blurted out, clapping her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry!"

I watched her for a long moment, mixed emotions filling me… wasn't she a bit young to be kissing boys?

_She's seventeen, _I reminded myself. _She could be legally married in a year._

"That's all that happened?" I asked, being careful to phrase myself properly.

"God mom, yes, that's all!" said Edward suddenly, having appeared in the doorway. "And she didn't kiss me, we kissed each other. It was mutual."

Poor Bella looked mortified.

"And you could've asked me before you went and harassed her," he said tartly. "She's shy enough as it is."

"I _did _ask you," I reminded him, my face breaking into a grin. "You wouldn't answer me."

He blushed as well, rolling his eyes.

"Is she free now?" he asked. "Is the interrogation over?"

"Of course," I said generously. "You two go have fun."

Bella just smiled at me thankfully, but Edward's teenage male mind went the wrong way and he immediately flushed bright pink.

As soon as Bella's hand was in his, he wheeled around and nearly ran from me, obviously trying to get his mind out of the gutter.

ooOoo

BPOV

Esme had caught me red handed and there was no way for me to deny it. I even tried _lying _to her to make her stop asking questions, but apparently I was a bad liar and she'd caught on quickly.

I'd been absolutely, positively, one hundred percent sure Esme would have throttled me for getting kissy with Edward. I was sure that kind, calm, gentle Esme would have went on a rampage to stop me from getting to know her son's lips.

Weren't moms supposed to get mad about those things? Wasn't Esme supposed to be angry with me?

Apparently not.

She had actually _smiled _at me and told Edward and I to "have fun".

Whatever that meant.

"God, I'm sorry," groaned Edward, bringing me into the living room. "I should've told her myself."

"It's fine," I said. "She knew anyways, I think."

"Yeah, she probably suspected, but still…" he said. "She sort of pounced on you."

"I'm fine."

He just smiled at me and we sat down on the couch, turning our attention to the television. Ellen DeGeneres was on TV, and Edward knew better than to change the channel.

He just held my hand and watched the show with me, letting me lean on him when I felt like it

Ellen talked about some funny pictures and TV commercials for a little while before the real commercial break came on, and I turned to face Edward.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I caught sight of Emmett on the chair across the room, watching Edward and I with a very nasty look on his face. Edward, obviously having noticed Emmett before, simply held on to my hand and let my brother glare at us.

I just ignored him, trying my best not to be afraid.

Where was Jake?

"Bella?" asked Emmett pointedly, sounding hurt that I'd ignored him. "What are you two doing?"

"Sitting," I retorted. "Watching Ellen. What are _you_ doing?"

"Watching you two get cozy on the couch," he replied, snarky.

"Well don't," I said childishly. "I'm not staring at _you."_

"I'm not having a little love-fest with Eddie on the couch."

"We're sitting, not having sex," said Edward suddenly, turning the brunt of his anger on my brother. "Why don't you find someone else to patronize?"

"Fuck off, I'm not talking to you," returned Emmett. "I'm talking to my _sister,_ if you don't mind."

"I do mind, actually," returned Edward, holding me a little tighter. "She's not in the mood for you."

"No, but I hear she _is _in the mood for _you."_

I flushed bright red, sitting up a little straighter.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" I asked, angry.

"I'm not being mean," he said, his tone slightly gentler. "I'm trying to look out for you."

"You're starting fights," I returned. "You're being mean and starting fights."

"I didn't start this," he said angrily. _"He _did."

"No, _you_ did," I said. "You started this. No one asked you to be mad."

"No one asked him to take your side, either, but he is," he pointed out.

"You should be on my side too," I argued. "I have a right to testify."

Adrian Costner had said so.

"And I have a right to oppose it," he returned. "And I have a right to oppose you seeing _him _in any romantic capacity."

"No you don't!" I shouted, affronted. "It's my life!"

"And I have a right to be in it!"

"Not control it!" I shouted back. "If you're going to be a jerk, just go away."

"I'm not being a jerk," he said angrily.

"Really? What do you call it?" I asked sarcastically. "Because I call it being a _jerk."_

"I'm worried for you," he said gently. "I don't want you getting worked up."

"I already am worked up, Emmett," I scorned, "and you can blame _yourself_ for that."

He flinched, and I turned my attention back to Ellen, fuming.

I _hated _my brother.

Minutes went by in dark, stormy silence before Emmett spoke up again.

"Can I talk to you alone?" he asked.

"No."

The silence ensued, only lifting when Rosalie and Jasper came downstairs, talking softly. They caught sight of the three of us almost instantaneously, taking care to gauge the emotional setting before they came in.

"Can't we just go to the kitchen or something?" asked Emmett, obviously not wanting more of an audience. "Please?"

"No," I said again. "I'm tired of fighting with you and Ellen's on."

Emmett scowled and stared angrily at the carpet, no doubt trying his best to gain control of himself before he got too angry again.

"We'll see you next time!" said Ellen happily, the end credits coming on. The show ended and the commercials came back on, leaving me without an excuse to deny Emmett his alone time.

"Now?" he asked, earning him a frustrated sigh.

Rosalie and Jasper, having sat on the other sofa, watched in tense silence.

"No."

"Bella, come on!" he shouted. "At least make an effort."

"I don't want to make an effort," I snarled back. "I don't want to talk to you."

"You're talking to me now," he pointed out. "It's a sight better than before."

"Well, I'll stop now," I said.

"No!" he cried. "I thought you weren't mad?"

"I _wasn't_ mad yesterday," I said. "I'mmad _now."_

"Why?"

"Because you made me that way. Leave me alone."

"Absolutely not," he returned. "I want to fix this."

"Go to an anti-jerk class then."

"You sound like Alice."

"Good," I replied. "I like her."

He sighed, frustrated, but unwilling to give up.

"Come talk to me in the spare bedroom," he said again. "You say the word and I'll leave, but please just _try."_

"I'm sick of trying," I said angrily. "I try all the time."

"Not for me, you don't."

"_Always _for you," I spat back. "Don't talk about things you don't know."

He just fell silent, watching me as I squeezed Edward's hand.

He squeezed back, and I held my tears back… I hated fighting with Emmett.

As angry as I was with him, I still loved him.

Even if I didn't like him right now.

"Boo, please," he said, using his favourite pet name. "Just a talk."

I refused to answer, gluing my eyes to the TV.

"Please?"

I felt my resolve breaking when I heard his voice break on that last word. Emmett knew better than anyone how to get me to cave, and I didn't like that one bit.

"I want Jake," I bargained, still refusing to look at him.

"Fine," he agreed quickly. "Where is he?"

"I don't know," I said dismissively. "Away."

"I'll find him."

And with that, my brother tore off up the stairs, no doubt making it his duty to search every bedroom to find the dog.

"Are you sure?" asked Edward suddenly, looking worried. "You don't have to, you know."

"He won't stop until I do, and maybe I can get him to stop being so mean."

"If you're sure," he said.

"I guess I am."

Rosalie looked up at me, sad, but smiling.

"He'll appreciate this," she said. "Just tell him when he gets a little mean."

"Yeah," I said darkly. "I guess so."

I heard the jingling of Jake's collar as Emmett led him into the room, his finger looped around to make sure he followed along.

I rose from the sofa, causing the dog to strain against Emmett's hold when I turned and left without a word. I moved towards the bedroom I'd been using since my return home, opening the door and sitting against the pillows on my bed. Emmett followed closely, letting Jake inside first and closing the door behind him.

He sat at the foot of the bed, facing me with the dog in between us.

I patted his head and he wiggled closer, resting his head in my lap.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked, looking up at him resentfully.

"Us," he said. "This." He gestured between us.

"So talk."

"I'm sorry I said those things to you and I'm sorry I'm being so antagonistic," he said gently.

"Said what things?"

I wanted to know _exactly _what he was sorry for.

"For threatening to tie you up and for being rude to you."

"What about him?" I asked. "Are you sorry for being rude to Edward."

"Not really."

I sat back, still angry.

"He didn't do anything to you, you know."

"I know."

"You hit him."

"I know."

"Why aren't you sorry?" I demanded. "You should be sorry."

"I'm sorry those things hurt you," he said carefully, "but I'm not sorry for doing it."

"You're not sorry for hitting your brother?"

"He's _not_ my brother," he said darkly, his voice full of malice. "Brothers don't do what he's doing."

"What did he do that was so bad?" I asked sadly. "He just tried to be my friend."

"He's much more than a friend, Bella," he said. "I think we both know that."

"I kissed him one time," I said. "Once, that's it."

"And you'll do it again," he accused. "You're in no way ready for a romantic relationship. He's going to want more, and…"

"And what?" I demanded. "I'll say no."

"Exactly. He's a guy, Bella, and when you say no, he'll find someone else to say yes."

I reeled back, tearing up.

Edward wouldn't… would he?

"He'll start to want things that you can't give," he said gently, "that you might _never_ be able to give."

"He won't," I said confidently.

"He's growing into a man, Bella," he said. "Men might not say they want it, but they do. He can't expect you to be ready to tend to _those_ needs yet."

He was talking about sex, and I knew it.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk, but even if the two of you can't see it, I can."

"You don't know him," I said sadly.

"I know _you," _he said. "And I know you won't want to get involved with that for a very long time."

"You don't know me," I returned. "You don't know what I think."

"I know that until you get past your life before you came here, you'll always associate those things with that son of a bitch in Phoenix," he said.

"How do you know?"

"Because Rosalie did," he said darkly. "For years, she couldn't even kiss me without freaking out."

"I kissed Edward and didn't freak out," I said triumphantly.

"And that's great," he said, pushing back a grimace. "But there's much more to relationships than kissing. Whether it's now or in ten years from now, he's going to want it and you're not going to be ready. It kills relationships."

"You and Rose are still dating," I pointed out.

"Rosalie came to me when she was just fourteen," he said. "We weren't even _thinking _of sex yet… or she wasn't, at least." He chuckled.

Gross.

"Well, I'm only seventeen."

"And soon you'll be eighteen and you'll both be adults and he'll go to college and you'll be stuck here."

I recoiled again, not liking that at all.

"It's selfish of him to start something with you knowing that you're in two very different places. Maybe in a few years, when you're closer to the same page… maybe if you get a GED and get into college someplace, start your own life…"

"I don't want my own life," I said sadly. "I want this one. With us."

"Ah," he said softly. "You'll grow up quickly. You'll learn more and more about the world until you can't help but want to be a part of it."

"No," I insisted. "No, I don't want to change my life again."

"You will want to," he said softly. "You'll see how things are in the real world—the world outside this house—and you'll want to experience it. It's scary to think about now, but once you're there, right in the middle of it, you won't regret it for a second. I know you, Bella. I know you're curious and bright and kind and I know you'll do well when you're on your own two feet."

I wanted to cry, and I think Emmett knew it.

"I'm sorry for being mean," he said again, watching me intently. "I just want what's best for _you."_

All the anger I'd felt in my heart before began to melt away… the hurt melted right along with it, as well as the fear. Emmett's frustrations were clear to me now… he wasn't being malicious for the sake of being malicious… he had a real goal in mind with real fears.

My brother loved me, and I knew it.

"Can I hug you, Boo?" he asked softly, looking very hesitant.

"Yeah."

And so he did. I one great swoop, he snatched me up and brought me to the center of the bed, giving me a tight hug that had taken much too long to come about.

"Promise me you'll be careful," he said gently. "I'm not saying dump him, but don't let him push you into anything you don't want to do."

"Okay."

"Focus on making yourself happy before you let him make you happy," he advised. "If he ends things, it's yourself that you'll have to turn to to make things right."

"I love you," I returned, speaking the words carefully.

"Love you too, Boo."

And then, he let me go.

**A/N: I got a little teary by the end of Bella and Emmett's talk... I don't know about any of you.**

**Also... so many people ask about when the next update's coming or what I'm working on... I will no longer be answering these questions via review reply or PMs. If you want to know, check out my Twitter feed... it's why I made it. You can find me on Twitter as Moonchild_707 (there's a link on my profile page too).**

**Leave me some feedback!**


	45. Chapter 44

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 44**

**A/N: Not a lot of reviews for the last chapter... kind of discouraging! Only 21... please leave some feedback this time!**

**On a different note, though, my family is in the midst of moving, so I've only been able to get sporadic internet access. I planned on updating much earlier, but every time I tried, the internet wasn't working. My mom's supposed to call our ISP this week and get it all sorted out.**

**Also keep in mind that we have a bit of a time jump going on in this one... We're in December now (as opposed to late October/early November as we were before).**

BPOV

_Saturday, December 11, 2010_

_Carmen thinks riting is a good idea. I dont. Im bad at it and I dont like it. She thinks that riting will help make my spelling __more good__ better and maybe ill learn to talk about my feelings. My feelings are just fine. No matter what she says about them. She gave me this notebook and im suposed to rite in it every day at least once a day. Alice says my spelling is much better and that im learning fast. Jasper taught me more reading today and im on my fifth book. I read Charlotte's Web, The Princess Diaries, Emmett's dumb book called Captain Underpants and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (I think I spelled that rite) Stone. Now im reading the Tale of Despereaux. The one about the mouse. I kinda like that mouse since he's small and got his tail cut off. Hes sorta cute._

_Jasper says that the more books i read the __more faster__ quicker ill be able to read Wuthering Heights._

_Esme says that soon, she'll start teaching me school stuff like times tables and long davijin (i dunno how to spell that one)._

_Alice just spelled it for me: DIVISION. I gotta remember that._

_I need to start riting in a pencil so i can erase my mistakes._

_Crismas is soon and im sorta eksited for it. EXCITED (Alice says). I dont remember any CHRISTMAS times befor. Emmett said he was gonna by me lots of presents since he has alot of Christmases to make up for. Esme brot me shopping for everyone and I bot presents too. I got a new video game for Emmett, some gift cards from Alice's favorite stores, new gitar strings and a new gitar case for Jasper (GUITAR), some homey things for Rosalie when she goes to collage next year, music paper in a nice book for Edward, a new tie and a white doctor lab coat for Carlisle and when Alice brot me the next day (BROUGHT, Alice says) I BOUGHT Esme a nice tea set since hers got broken. I even bot Marcus a new tie._

_Carmen will be happy that im riting lots in my jurnal like she asked me too. She wants me to rite about everything. So im gonna rite about Carlisle's family thats coming to visit us for Christmas. Carlisle says that ever since i came to his family his family in Italy wants to come. He has his dad Aro, his mom Dora, his papi Greg and his nona __Alega__. __Allega__. __Ellegra__. __Alegra__._

_ALLEGRA! (Thanks Alice!)_

_Anyways Carlisle says those peple (and marcus too) are gonna be here on December the 14. Thats in 3 days, you know. Im sorta scared to meet them since i never did before and they mite be mean to me. Im not Carlisle's real kid (but nither is anyone else). Carlisle says that Christmas is the perfect time for visits since then we get so spend the __hollyday__ with family. HOLIDAY. Esme called her brother too, Alec, and he mite come visit. But esme didn't know becaz his wife's not a nice lady and she doesnt want Jane to make me upset._

_Alice is trying to peek at my riting now to find out what her present is so im gonna close the book now and wait until later to rite more._

"Stop it, Alice!" I cried, slamming my journal shut. Alice, her face broken into a wide grin, sat back on the sofa.

"Is it cool?" she asked. "Is it big?"

"I'm not telling you anything and stop trying to ruin the surprise," I said, hugging the book to my chest.

"Never," she said wickedly. "It's half the fun."

"You're _no _fun," I said petulantly, frowning. "It's _supposed _to be a surprise."

She just kept on smiling, not daring to say anything more.

"I'll figure it out sooner or later," she sang. "Don't you fret."

"I already _am _fretting," I grumped, letting Alice flounce off to wherever Alice liked to flounce to.

She giggled and then, I was left alone. I opened my book up again and added a few last sentences, making the entry complete.

_And no matter what, i will not let Alice find her Christmas gift. She'll never find this book either since im gonna hide it under my matress with her present. So there._

The book was closed again, and I nearly leapt off the couch in my haste to hide it before Alice came back and found me out. The third floor— where I'd been allowed back to last month—came faster than ever. Edward smiled at me from his bed and made to get up, but before he could say a word, I slammed my own door and rushed to my bedside. I ordered Jake to move aside, earning me a grumble, and lifted the thick mattress. Alice's gift was there, in the envelope with her card, sitting on the box spring.

I laid the journal with the butterfly cover beside it, letting the mattress fall with a thump. Jake hopped right on back up, returning to his sleep.

"Bella?" called Edward, knocking lightly.

"Just a minute!" I cried, making sure my closet door was closed. His gift was wrapped and stashed far back on the top corner of the shelf, next to Marcus' tie, but I didn't want him to even _see_ the gift paper before Christmas day.

I closed the door so that it clicked, paranoid that he might sneak a glimpse through the crack.

"Come in!"

"What was all that about?" he asked gently, confused as he took in my ruffled state.

"Alice," I said sourly. "She's trying to find out what her present is and I wrote it in my journal for Carmen."

He smirked, looking around.

"Where _are _those gifts, anyways?" he asked.

"Not you too!" I cried, exasperated. "We're not staying in here!"

"Relax," he laughed. "I won't peek."

"You'd better not," I warned.

"I won't," he said again. "Come here."

I went eagerly, knowing very well I'd get a kiss if I did. Sure enough, when I found myself close enough, he bent down and pressed his lips to mine, earning an eager reply.

"I like that," I announced boldly, earning me another laugh.

"So do I," he said gently, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "I'd invite you out tonight, but I think mom wants our help cleaning up the house before people get here."

"Right," I grimaced.

"You're not excited to see everyone?" he asked, astonished.

"I don't _know_ everyone," I reminded him. "What if they don't like me?"

I pulled the top of my shirt up a little higher, trying to cover the scars that still showed.

"Stop that," he said, scandalized as he removed my hand from my shirt. "Don't hide."

"I might _have _to hide if they don't like me," I said. "I'm weird."

"You're far from weird, Bella Swan."

I scoffed at him, quirking an eyebrow.

"You're _not," _he assured. "You're perfectly normal."

"I'm scarry," I said. "And I'm still 'sick'." My voice mocked the word.

Carlisle said that until I lived with my new heart for a year, I was still at considerable risk for rejection or a relapse in my original heart problem.

I thought he was absolutely nuts. I felt great.

"They understand that," he said gently. "Papi and Nona will just love you."

"Do they even speak English?" I asked worriedly. "They're from Italy."

"They speak perfect English," he assured me. Papi was an international businessman in his prime, and you can't get around in the world with no English."

I harrumphed, quieting for now.

"Pop might be a little gruff at first," he said. "Nana's bound to love you though."

"Aro and Dora?" I asked skeptically. "I'm sure they had better grandkids in mind than _me."_

"Would you _stop _that?" he asked angrily, turning his bright green eyes on me once more. "Stop with the self-deprecation."

"I can't stop it," I said, frustrated. "I don't want to be disliked."

"You won't be," he assured me again. "They'll be perfectly pleasant."

"Where are they going to sleep?" I demanded. "There's not that much room left."

"Bella, they don't give a damn where they're put up," he said. "They were ready to buy an RV and camp out in the front yard."

I flushed, opening my mouth to speak, but Edward beat me to it.

"From what I've gathered, mom and dad will give their room to Papi and Nona. We have extra furniture down in storage if we need it, but Uncle's agreed to take a second bedroom in the basement while the others are here. Mom, dad and Uncle are going to sleep in the rooms in the basement, Nona and Papi will be upstairs in mom and dad's room and Pop and Nana Dora will stay in the guest room downstairs."

It sounded so nice when he said it, but when I thought too much about it, it could never work.

I didn't know why… it just _couldn't. _

"What about if Esme's brother comes?"

"Then dad and Em will bring some furniture up from storage and set them up in dad's study," he said easily. "Or someone will move into the study and they'll take someone's room."

"Oh."

"It's simple, Bell," he said gently. "Don't even think about it."

"What about Jake?" I asked sadly, eying my puppy on the bed.

"He'll stay with you," said Edward. "He's fine up here."

"Do they like him?"

"Papi thinks he's hilarious," said Edward dryly. "He's never met him, but he thinks he has 'spunk'."

"Oh."

"They'll be fine with him. Relax."

I took a deep breath and took his hand in mine.

"Let's go downstairs," I said. "Maybe we can help Esme."

He grimaced lightly but followed me anyways, and I gathered that helping his mother was not on the top of his list of priorities.

We walked in silence until we found Esme in the sitting room, dusting the shelves.

"Hi," I said softly. She turned to greet me, smiling.

"Hello dears," she said. "Down to help?"

"Yep," I said eagerly, letting Edward's hand go.

He slinked out of the room as quickly as he could, knowing his mother would send him outside.

"I thought not," she laughed, watching as Edward skulked into the kitchen to get himself a drink. "All of my boys are avoiding me today, even my _oldest_ one."

Carlisle didn't want to go out and shovel the yard either.

"Well, I can use you," she said happily. "Would you go strip the bed in the guest room? Marcus is moving downstairs today and I want to wash the sheets before everyone gets here."

"Sure."

Esme moved on to the tables in the room as I jaunted to the guest room, flinging the door open unceremoniously.

A startled cry earned a shrill scream from me as I jumped out of the room and slammed the door behind me. My heart raced as I caught my breath, my hand resting on the wall. The door opened again almost instantly, Marcus looking sheepish and apologetic.

"You scared me," he said gently, laughing.

"You're supposed to be downstairs!" I spluttered, trying not to laugh myself.

It was sort of funny.

"What? What's wrong?" said Esme, running towards us. "Are you alright?"

"Just a scare, that's all," said Marcus gently. "Apparently I'm supposed to be downstairs."

"I sent her to strip the bed," said Esme, smiling. "I thought you were hiding in the storage room with Carlisle."

"No," he said confidently. "I know you'd _never _send one of your houseguests to shovel."

Esme scoffed but didn't contradict him as Marcus opened the door once more.

"Don't worry about it Bella," he said. "I'll handle my own sheets."

"But you're a _guest,"_ I said sarcastically, repeating his own words. Esme snorted and walked off to her dusting, leaving the two of us alone.

I'd grown to like Marcus.

"Hardly, kiddo," he said. He leaned down to whisper to me.

"Just don't tell Esme or she really _will_ have me out with that shovel."

I giggled, watching from the doorway as Marcus went and tore the sheets from the bed, removed the pillowcases and balled up the dirty laundry.

I held out my arms for it.

"Never you mind about my sheets," he said. "I'm a grown man."

"Esme said to," I argued. "She sent me to strip the bed."

"Have her send you elsewhere," he suggested. "I'm perfectly fine here."

I just smiled as he winked, heaving the pile of linen up into his arms.

"Let me teach you a trick," he said, leading me to the basement door. "Open that."

I opened the door, flicking the staircase light on as he stood at the top, eying the bottom.

To my complete shock, he heaved the great pile of cloth down the stairs, sending it rolling down.

"You threw them!" I cried, aghast. "Why'd you do that?"

He just laughed in his easy way, leaving me gaping.

I knew better than to _toss_ laundry down the stairs.

He leapt down the steps three at a time and landed at the bottom.

"Saves my back," he reasoned. "No need to carry a pile like that when I can just throw it!"

And then, Marcus the lawyer disappeared with his sheets. I waited a moment, seeing if he'd reappear, but when he didn't, I decided to move along. I returned to Esme, finding her rearranging sofa cushions.

"Marcus stripped his own bed," I said dutifully.

"Well then, you go have fun," she said. "I've got things under control. If you happen to find a boy, however, please send him down."

"I want to help," I told her, frowning.

"There's nothing much left to do," she said gently. "The rest is manual labour and I can't have you doing that."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not strong enough yet."

"I'm _fine," _I said, exasperated. "Let me help."

"You are fine," she conceded, "and I'd like to keep you that way."

"There's _nothing _to do?" I asked. "Are you sure?"

Esme always found something that needed doing.

"I'm sure," she said. "Why don't you go find your brother for me? That would be a great help."

"Alright," I said, turning. "If you find something for me to do, let me know."

"I'll be sure to do that." She let me go with a gentle smile, leaving me to trek upstairs in search of my suspiciously absent brother.

"Em?"

"Shh!"

"Em?" I asked again, whispering as I hit the second floor landing. I stood very still, listening.

"In here." His whispered.

"Where's here?" I asked again, creeping forward.

I was startled when his door flew open, silent, and he snatched me up and brought me in with him, gently closing the door behind him.

"We need to be quiet," he said, bringing me towards his walk in closet. "I'm sorting things."

"And that needs silence?"

"Shh!"

"Sorry," I acquiesced. "Why do you need quiet?"

"Mom's looking for me," he said, "and I'm _not_ going out in this storm to shovel."

I giggled, stifling the sound with my sleeve.

Emmett and I had gotten past our disagreement weeks ago, and since then, he'd been making an extra effort to be kind to me and his brother. I knew that inside, Emmett still didn't like us together, but he kept his big mouth shut and smiled when he saw us.

It was as much as I could expect from him.

"She sent me to find you," I warned. "I'll have to tell her you're here."

"Bella!" he complained in a loud whisper. "You wouldn't."

"I _have _to," I emphasized. "We can't have guests coming to visit when the yard looks like the North Pole."

"It's not that bad," he scoffed. "It's not my fault its been snowing nonstop. Even dad's hiding from her."

"She's going to know we're up here," I warned. "She's knows where I went."

"Damn it," he complained. "Help me make a mess."

"Why?"

"So that when she comes in here, she's so scandalized by the mess that she won't even remember the snow," he reasoned. "Please?"

"Alright," I agreed, following my brother out into the main area of his bedroom.

"Don't make too much noise," he whispered again. "Just put shit on the floor where she won't want it."

I took the blankets from his bed and ruffled them, tossing them into a ball on the other side.

"Great," he said, smiling. "There may be hope for you yet."

Together, the two of us made quite a mess of the room, tossing his belongings about as quietly as we could. After twenty minutes of misplacing things and putting everything out of order, I knew there was no way Emmett would be done cleaning before it was dark.

"Great," he said. "Now she _can't _send me outside."

Emmett looked very pleased with himself, and although I felt some secret guilt over the trick we'd pulled, I knew Emmett was right.

Esme's house needed to be spotless for our guests, and she would definitely make Emmett spend his time cleaning rather shoveling the front yard.

"Bella?" called Esme suddenly, her footsteps echoing up the stairs. "Emmett?"

"Shit!" he hissed, scooping me up and rushing us to the closet. I stifled a laugh as he closed the door, holding his finger up for silence as Esme opened the door to his bedroom.

"Bell— Good God!" she exclaimed. "Emmett!"

"Shh," said Emmett again, looking a little frightened. We huddled together behind his dress shirts as Esme's clicky shoes sounded closer and closer to the closet. I squealed, breaking our cover when she opened the door, letting her fling the shirts aside to find the two of us.

She looked mad, and I grew nervous.

"You think this will get you out of shoveling?" she asked impatiently, gesturing to the disaster we'd created.

"Now I have to clean," said Emmett cockily. "Bell can help, if she wants."

"Absolutely not," said Esme furiously, glancing between the two of us.

Emmett frowned, watching her before he glanced to me, looking confused.

"It needs to be cleaned," he said. "Thoroughly. Go find Jasper."

"No," she said again. _"You're _going to do the outside work."

"I've got to clean," he reminded her, stepping around her.

"No, Bella's going to clean," she informed him, making me frown.

"Aw mom!" cried Emmett. "Come on!"

"Absolutely not," she said. "Bella, you can clean the mess you two made and Emmett, get some boots and get outside."

ooOoo

"I can't believe you let him talk you into that," said Alice from the other side of the table.

I simply scowled at her and took another bite of pasta.

"I mean, really," she continued. "Did you think you'd get away with it?"

"Leave her alone, Alice," admonished Esme. "She had to clean it up, didn't she?"

"It's funny," she said simply. "I'd have never gone along with it."

"It was two days ago," I complained. "Please let it be?"

She just grinned.

"If you say so," she said. "How's the yard coming along?"

"Shut it," warned Emmett, looking tired. "Do you know how much land we have here?"

"About 8,000 square feet," quipped Carlisle, "but it's not as if you have to shovel it all."

Emmett just gave him a dirty look and returned to his garlic bread.

"Anyways," said Esme, cutting in. "Everyone needs to get a good sleep tonight."

"Yes mother," said Emmett sarcastically, earning him a gentle smack from Alice. Esme's look told him that he wasn't to be foolish, and he continued in silence.

"I need you all up by ten," she explained. "We're expecting the plane in Port Angeles at around that time, and your father and I need to go with two cars to pick everyone up."

"Make sure you keep it neat," said Carlisle. "And boys, be careful getting the tree."

Carlisle and Esme were sending all three boys into the forest tomorrow to cut down a good sized Christmas tree. We would decorate it when everyone was here.

The boys had to get up even _earlier_ than we did to find it. Esme wanted it pruned and set up by the time she arrived back with her guests.

"I heard back from Alec today," she continued. "He and Jane will be joining us the day after tomorrow."

"Cool," said Emmett simply.

Esme looked pleased that her brother and his wife had agreed to come. According to her, it had been over five years since she had seen him. We all finished the meal peacefully, none of us speaking much as the food disappeared. When we were done, I helped my sister clear the table, trying not to hate that stupid dishwasher too much when we loaded it.

When I lived in my own house with my own dishes, I wouldn't use a stupid dishwasher… how could we really know if it was any good at cleaning?

"Jasper and I are watching a movie tonight," said Alice suddenly. "Do you want to join us?"

"No thanks," I said easily, wiping down the counter with a disinfectant wipe. "I'm going to listen to music with Edward tonight."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," I said easily. "Thanks anyways."

"If you change your mind, we'll be down in the sitting room."

"Okay."

It was seven o' clock and already dark outside… the moon made the snow glow outside in the yard, and I watched it for a moment.

When the first snow had fallen and really stuck to the ground, Emmett had bundled me up in an old snowsuit of Rosalie's and brought me outside to make snow-people. Emmett, though he was twenty one years old, looked like he had a lot of fun rolling giant balls around, and for the first time in my life, I could say I participated in a snow fight.

I loved the snow, but knowing Edward was waiting for me, I tore myself away from the window and moved towards the staircase. I trekked upstairs and found him on his sofa, waiting.

"Come in," he said, patting the spot beside him. I scampered over and slithered in next to him, pressing my toes against my thighs to keep them warm. Like he always did when we listened to music, he pressed play on his remote and the sounds filled the room.

We listened together for a long moment before he spoke.

"When the snow melts and the flowers start to come back, I'm going to take you back to that meadow," he announced.

"I'd like that."

"We're going to have a picnic, and I'll see about some music. Maybe we could bring Jake too."

I snuggled into his side, letting him wrap his arm around me.

"What else?" I asked.

"We'll have sandwiches," he said, "and some iced tea."

"Yum."

"We'll bring blankets and jackets and mittens in case it gets cold… maybe some chairs, too."

"Chairs?"

"Folding ones," he clarified. "Ones that'll fit in a pack."

"Don't forget water for Jake."

"Of course not," he agreed. "Can't forget him."

"Definitely not," I said. "We need to go when the flowers are just coming out, I think."

"Why's that?" he asked, amused.

"Because blooming flowers are the prettiest."

The look he gave me was one of confusion, and I knew he was asking how I knew.

For all he knew, I didn't remember blooming flowers.

"At the hospital—the real one, not the Institute—there was a garden outside the window. I was there from late April to June, so I saw them bloom," I explained. "They were beautiful."

"You should write about them," he encouraged. "In your journal for Carmen."

"Maybe," I agreed. "I don't talk about that time in my notebook."

He let it go, and I was grateful.

"We'll go when the flowers are in bloom, then," he agreed. "Just as they're opening."

"It'll be beautiful," I predicted. "Wild and random and beautiful."

"Random?"

"No one planted those," I reminded him. "They grow where they want to whenever they want to. They're random and free."

He smoothed my hair, allowing me to sneak my arm around his back.

"I'm glad you're here, Bella."

"Here?" I asked, confused.

"With us. With _me," _he said. "I'm glad they found out who you were."

"Me too."

The song changed to another soft, classical piece and I grew even more content.

"Are you happy?"

"Right now?" I asked. "Yeah."

"No, in general," he said. "Are you happy with us? With yourself?"

I turned my head up to look at him, only to find him staring intensely back.

"Yes."

ooOoo

"You look fine, Bella," said Rosalie, exasperated.

I smoothed the front of my top down anyways, butterflies stirring in my tummy… it was the anxious feeling I hated, and even though Carlisle had ensured that my medicine had been properly administered, I was beginning to doubt the effectiveness of the Ativan.

"Are you sure?" I asked worriedly. "It looks wrinkled."

"You're fine, kiddo," said Marcus, grasping my shoulders. I leaned back into him, liking the adult authority he brought with him, making him smile.

So much had changed with Marcus since he'd first come, and I was all the more glad for it.

"My father could care less if you were even _wearing_ a top," he joked. "He's a good man."

"Carlisle said that _his_ dad could be…" I began, trying to remember the word he'd used.

"Could be what?" he asked.

"_Uptight."_

Marcus barked out a laugh.

"Aro was always a little tough on Carlisle," he said. "He expected a lot from him, being an only child."

"Marcus, I can't even _read!" _I hissed.

"Stop worrying," he said. "My father and brother will be more than cordial."

"But they'll _think—"_

"They won't think anything," he said gently. "Just relax."

"You're fine, Bella," said Alice tartly, her attitude the complete opposite of mine. Where I had been fretting and worrying all morning, Alice had been ready in forty five minutes and was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a nice top.

I'd worried for nearly an hour over _which_ pair of jeans _I _should wear to meet Carlisle's family… only when Alice came in and chose for me was I able to begin my morning.

Jake was a helper too, since he didn't put up a fuss to go outside and dig in the snow like he usually did. He was being a very nice boy today.

"What if they don't like me?" I worried again, turning to my sister. Rosalie looked sympathetic, but Alice just looked annoyed.

"You're fine," she repeated. "Let it go and calm down."

I turned away from her, knowing that Alice would never really know how fearful I was… _everybody_ liked Alice. I picked at my fingernails, only stopping when I felt two gentle hands take my own. Edward didn't say a word, but I immediately felt a little better knowing he was here…

…and he smelled like pine, which was a nice smell.

"How long?" asked impatient Emmett, eying Marcus. "Did they say?"

"About five minutes, give or take. Your grandfather called me from the road."

"Which one?"

"Aro."

"Nice," said Emmett, smiling widely.

Emmett was unnaturally excited about meeting our guests… apparently it had been over three years since they'd last seen each other in the flesh.

Webcam wasn't the same, according to my brother.

When I heard the cars tires cracking on the snow, I grew even more anxious. Edward's hand tightened on my own and I leaned back, taking a deep breath.

"Do you need another Ativan?" he asked gently, looking concerned.

"No."

I heard car doors slamming shut and the crunch of snow underneath boots, right before a loud laugh sounded.

I felt sick.

"I'll go see about bags," said Marcus easily. "Excuse me."

Edward smiled gently at me and passed me off to my brother, who took his place behind me with much gusto. Edward followed his uncle towards the door, leaving Emmett to stand behind me and hold me upright.

"Relax, Boo," he said softly, repeating what everyone had already told me.

I focused my attention on the floorboards just as the door opened, and I heard a loud greeting taking place.

"…catch that bastard," said a man. "You work at it."

"I am," said Marcus gently. "Let me take that, mama."

"Thank you, dear," said a woman. "My, look at you, _amore. _You've grown!"

"Hi Nona," said Edward.

My heart pounded in my chest as I heard numerous sets of feet entering the house, coats rustling and heavy bags being deposited.

"Goodness, mama, how much did you bring?" asked Carlisle.

"Only what's necessary, dear. There are two more of mine in the car."

It was strange to hear Carlisle calling someone _mama._

"Esme, darling!" said the same woman. "You must show me your new kitchen."

She spoke with an accent… they all spoke with an accent.

"Of course, Dora," she said. "The rest of the kids are in the sitting room."

There was a light scrambling in the entranceway before a set of footsteps approached and I latched onto my brother's arm. He said nothing, but put a reassuring hand on my back.

The first person in the room, much to my surprise, was an elderly man dressed in a nice suit with a walking stick in his hand.

"_Bambini!" _cried the old man, looking around. _"e tu, Tesoro."_

He said the last part to me, and I simply stared at him.

"This is Papi," said Emmett quickly, before I got too confused. "He's Carlisle's grandfather."

"And yours too, boy, don't you forget it," he said, pointing his stick at my brother.

Emmett laughed heartily and stepped around me, embracing the man tightly. Alice, Jasper and Rosalie followed soon after, each sharing a hug with this stranger.

"This is Bella, Papi."

"So I've heard," he said gently. "Come and let me have a look at you, _Tesoro."_

I hesitated, but took a step closer, watching the old man smile.

"Bella indeed," he said tenderly. "Quite _bella."_

I didn't understand much of what he said, but I gathered he was being kind.

"I should hug you too, child," he informed me. "Come here."

Against my will, Emmett nudged me forward right into the arms of this tall, strange old man. I felt the hug and patted his back, earning me a hearty laugh before he released me and I took an awkward step back.

"We'll warm up, won't we?" he said, his dark, twinkling eyes settled on me. "Allegra!"

Six more people came into the room, only three being familiar faces, and soon, my hand was in the hands of an elderly woman.

"Lovely girl," she cooed.

I flushed bright red as Carlisle smiled at me, looking a little sheepish as his family greeted me.

My attention, however, was drawn to Carlisle's father Aro. He was tall and dark haired, much unlike Carlisle, but with the familiar blue eyes I knew.

His were much harder than Carlisle's, but showed no hostility that I could decipher.

"Mama, don't smother the poor girl," said Mr. Aro suddenly, earning him a haughty glare from his mother, the old woman, Allegra.

"Don't patronize me, Aro," she warned. "I'll do as I please."

"Of course, Mother," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Don't mind him," said Allegra, her accent thick. "He's cranky from the flight."

"Mama!"

"Oh hush," she said, turning to him. "Fetch me my purse."

And fetch he did.

Aro Cullen returned with a dark bag in hand, holding it out for his mother gingerly.

"_Grazie," _she said, turning back to me. "Now…"

She unzipped the bag, leaving everyone in silence as she ratcheted around. I felt very awkward as she dug in her bag, sifting through everything to get what she wanted.

"I have a gift for you, _Bella,"_ she explained.

"A gift?" I squeaked.

"A gift," she confirmed. "A welcome gift."

"Welcome?"

"_Benvenuto alla famiglia," _she said cryptically, earning her a large smile from Carlisle. She fished around some more before she produced a long, thin package.

"For you," she said. "I would wait for Christmas, but I'd rather you have it now."

"Thank you," I said quickly, taking it in hand.

"Open it."

She stepped back, dragging her husband Papi with her and watched eagerly as I gently removed the gold wrapping, finding a soft box underneath. I handed the paper to Emmett, who held his hand out for it, and gently opened the box.

It was a beautiful thin gold chain set perfectly in the center of the box with a pendant attached to it. I stared at it for a long moment, examining the crest embedded in the center.

"It is the family crest," explained Papi softly. "All the children have one."

"What's the picture?" I asked, holding it closer.

"A lion, three shamrocks and a hand," he explained. "It's been in our family for centuries."

Welcome_ alla famiglia—_ to the family.

I smiled and hugged this stranger, liking this lady more and more by the second.

"Thank you," I said again.

"You're very welcome."

I closed the box softly, letting the lady go and turning back to my brother.

"Mine's a ring," he said automatically, knowing what I was thinking. "I have it upstairs in my room."

I took his hand once more and leaned into his side, much more at ease now that I'd gotten the two elder Cullens out of the way.

Now I had to meet Carlisle's mom and dad.

"As you already know," began Carlisle, "this is my father, Aro, and my mother, Dora."

"…Hi."

It was as best as I could do at the moment, but it seemed to please both of them.

"Hello _amore_," said Dora gently. "We'll get to know each other soon enough."

Aro simply offered me a nod, making me gawk for a moment before I averted my gaze. His wife, Dora, seemed put out by his lack of attention.

"Shall we see this kitchen, Esme?" said Dora, breaking the suddenly tense silence. "I'd love to see it."

"Of course."

"A word, Carlisle?" said Aro coolly, eyeing his son.

"Of course."

Nona and Papi sat together on the loveseat, both of them content and at ease speaking with Alice and the others. Before I could sit down, I felt two hands on my arms—my brother's hands—as he nudged my hair out of the way and draped the cold golden chain around my throat.

Once it was fastened, he sat on the couch and patted the seat beside him, letting me cuddle into his side as I traced the patterns on the pendant.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think.**

**My goal is to reach 2000 reviews by the end of this story (which so far, has somewhere around 59 chapters planned). If we succeed, it'll be the first of my stories to reach 2000!**

**Help me reach my goal!**


	46. Chapter 45

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 45**

**A/N: So many were curious about the conversation between Aro and Carlisle, so here it is! Of course I'd never leave you wondering... :)**

CPOV

My father and I walked up the stairs to the third floor of my house, finding my study quickly. Ever the businessman, my father had greeted Bella with a cool nod before sneaking me away, no doubt filled with questions and concerns about the newest member of our family. I sat behind my desk, gesturing to the chair on the other side for him. To my surprise, he peeked out of the door first, making sure we had no eavesdroppers.

"My children know better," I said softly, urging him to close the door. "They understand privacy."

"It's not your children I'm worried about," he said cryptically. "It's your mother."

Of course it was.

"Sit," I said. "What do you want to talk about?" He closed the door softly and flicked the lock, turning to me.

"Does that child eat, Carlisle?" he asked me sternly, his eyes reproachful.

"Dad!"

"Does she?" he asked again. "I'm not doubting you, to be sure, but she's thin as a rail."

"She eats," I replied tartly. "She's gone through a lot in the past little while and she's lost some weight."

"She doesn't _have_ any weight," he scoffed.

"Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"No," he returned. "I want to know where that child came from and what you've been doing with her."

"Not now, dad," I pleaded. "Later."

"No, now," he said. "We can't keep meeting in secret, and your mother's bound to grow suspicious."

"Why didn't you say anything to her?" I deflected. "She's been worried sick over meeting you."

"I didn't want to frighten her," he said gently. "She looked scared enough of my parents."

"She's been very anxious about meeting _all_ of you," I repeated. "You're going to need to initiate contact, since lord knows she won't."

"Fine," he said again. "Where did that girl come from?"

"_That girl_ has a name," I returned. "Her name is Bella."

"I know her name, son, now answer the question. Where did you find her?"

"You know she came from Phoenix," I explained. "She was born in Seattle and she lived their with her biological parents until she was six."

"And?"

"And then she was sent to a group home in Tucson," I continued. "After that, she ended up in some facility for mental patients."

"Mental institution? Is she sick?" he demanded. "You didn't tell me _any_ of this in your messages—"

"No, she's not sick," I replied. "At least not in that way."

"Start from the beginning," he said wearily, sounding worn out. "I want to know what we're dealing with."

So for the next twenty minutes, I explained Bella's life to my father. I explained how she'd been taken, how she'd been mistreated and abused, how she'd lost her memories and how she'd been found. I explained about her heart problems and about her transplant, as well as her decision to testify.

My father remained stoic and silent throughout the story, interrupting only when he had a question.

"She has scars?" he asked once I was done, earning him a nod.

"Many."

"And she wants to go down to Phoenix and testify?"

"Yes."

"Marcus is her lawyer?"

"Yes."

"Good."

He watched me for a long moment before he spoke again, his voice hoarse.

"I knew she'd been through some awful things, but I never imagined it was that bad," he said gruffly. "Marcus had better focus his attention on nailing that son of a bitch."

"He's been great," I said easily. "He was able to force Danielle Ford into a settlement without involving the courts.

"How much?"

"Five," I said. "Hardly enough to cover what she went through, but enough to give her a good life."

He grunted, disapproving.

"Your grandparents, your mother and I have set up a trust for her," he said suddenly, daring me to object. "You can add the five to that."

"Dad, you didn't have to—"

"Don't tell me what to do, Carlisle," he snapped. "That girl is as much our grandchild as any of the others."

"I know," I said with a sigh. "I've never doubted that."

"Good," he said. "I'd hate to know you thought so little of me. I might be a little harsh sometimes, but I do have a heart."

"Good to know," I said, smiling.

He chuckled before he sat up, adjusting his tie.

"How was your flight?" I asked, turning to lighter subjects.

"Horrid," said my father bluntly. "My mother was nearly insufferable."

I just smiled, waiting for elaboration.

"She had one too many margaritas before we took off and she was passed out about an hour in. When she woke up, she was the devil reincarnate."

"I doubt she was that bad," I pacified. "She's an old woman, after all."

"Old woman or not, she can _not_ hold her liquor."

I just laughed, turning to the fridge and offering my father a bottle of water.

"I'd offer you something a little stronger, but Esme would have my head," I explained.

He took it gratefully and took a long drink, setting it down on the coaster I'd provided.

"How's Bella taking to Marcus?" he asked. "Are they alright together?"

"It was slow," I admitted. "He's been staying with us for almost three months now, and she's only just begun to really trust him."

He grunted, displeased.

"He tried to keep out of her way," I divulged. "I guess he didn't want her feeling awkward in her own home."

"My brother's a good man," he said. "Too bad I can't say the same for my other one."

Caius.

"Did you pass on the invite?" I asked.

"Of course," said my father. "He said no."

"No?" I asked. "That's it? Just no?"

"Just no."

"Well, better for us then," I said angrily.

My uncle was the worst kind of man.

"Caius is focused solely on himself," said dad. "He can't be bothered with anyone else, especially a sick child."

"He has other family besides Bella," I reminded him. "He could have come to visit with his parents, at least."

"He's busy with his business," said dad. "It's going under, you know."

I nodded, having kept close tabs on my uncle's firm in Italy.

"When he goes down, he'll come crawling back to us," said dad confidently. "Mark my words."

"Have you spoken with any of the other kids yet?" I wondered. "Emmett?"

"Not yet," said dad, smiling. "I thought it best to get the questions out of my system before I beat my grandson on his video game."

"He's better than he was when he was twelve, dad," I warned.

"He's still impulsive and crude, Carlisle," said my father gleefully. "That boy cannot win. He has _no_ understanding of strategy."

I just smiled and took a swig of my own water bottle, sitting back in my chair.

"I'm proud of you, you know," he said suddenly.

"For what?" I asked, confused.

My dad had been proud many times before.

"For who you've become," he explained. "You're a much better man than I was at your age."

"I have more to lose than you do," I said honestly.

"Not really," he said. "One child means just as much as many children. You don't know what it's like, having just one."

"Nor would I want to," I returned.

"And I'm proud of you for it," he said again. "I'm proud of what you've done with your life, and what you're doing with the lives of your kids."

"Thanks, dad."

"No need for thanks," he said. "It was all your own doing."

I just bowed my head, taking another drink.

"I'm especially proud of you for taking on the challenge of that little girl," he said gently. "Not many would."

"How could I not?" I asked sadly. "She's Alice and Emmett's sister."

"She's much more than that, Carlisle," he said. "Don't think I forget how long and hard you looked for her when they first came to you."

I remembered those days well… the days when Alice and Emmett had asked me to find their sister and bring her home.

It had been very hard to explain to children so young that there was very little chance.

"That girl became your child the moment you learned of her," said dad. "Just as she should have."

"I know."

"You've done right by her," he said gently. "She's a good girl."

"I know."

"She needs to eat more, though," he added, almost as an afterthought. "That much, I'm not pleased with."

"I can hardly force her to eat," I reasoned. "She eats at least three times a day, if not more."

"I know," he said. "I'm not blaming you. I'm making an observation."

We were silent for a moment.

"Your brother and sister-in-law are arriving tomorrow?" he asked, changing the subject. "What are they like?"

I laughed darkly, rubbing my face.

"Difficult, to say the least," I said. "Alec is a good man, but his wife's a piece of work."

"His wife?"

"Jane," I said. "She's incredibly jealous of Esme."

"What for?" asked dad angrily. "Esme said she hasn't seen her brother in over five years."

"She hasn't," I said. "They've corresponded, of course, but last time they met, she and Jane got into an argument and Alec thought it best to keep Jane away from his sister. Jane, obviously, has manipulated Alec into staying away."

"Sounds like a real winner," said dad sarcastically. "Are you sure it's right to have him over?"

"Him, yes. Jane, no."

"So talk to your wife," he said indignantly. "Don't bring someone into your house that you don't want—"

"Esme wants her brother here," I said simply. "I won't compromise that by banning his wife."

"If you say so."

"She won't ruin Christmas," I said confidently. "Even she's not that bad."

"You never know with that type," he said. "They're unpredictable."

"I trust Alec," I said simply. "He won't let her ruin this reunion, no matter what she wants."

"I hope not," he said. "For Esme's sake."

"Are we done here?" I asked gently. "Or do you have more questions?"

"No we're done," he said, standing. "Is this tie straight?"

"Yeah, it is," I said, watching as he tugged on the bottom.

"Your mother insisted on this suit," he complained. "I don't know where she supposed we were going, or who she thought _you _were..."

I just laughed, opening the door to my study.

"Esme's probably getting lunch ready," I said. "Are you hungry?"

"Ravenous."

"Good."

The two of us made our way down the stairs, following the sound of voices to the dining room. The table's center extension had been added and eight chairs brought up from the basement, making the table much fuller than it had been.

My family was seated around the table, looking like the perfect picture of togetherness. Bella, having reconciled any differences with her brother, was sitting next to him, my grandmother on her other side. Nona seemed to be showing Bella her infamous old photographs, and Emmett was chatting with Edward.

A rare sight nowadays.

Edward and my grandfather sat across from Bella, Papi throwing his two cents into Nona's stories whenever he felt the need. Alice and Rosalie were seated at the end, speaking intimately with my mother. Esme, catching my eye from across the island in the kitchen, looked concerned, but a smile from me ensured her that the talk between my father and myself had been purely amicable.

"I've made soup and sandwiches," she said suddenly, earning everyone's attention. "If you'd like something else, just let me know. Coffee, anyone?"

It was a little hectic, getting everyone settled at the table, but once I enlisted the help of my sons in the kitchen on behalf of their mother, everything went smoothly. Emmett carried the pot of soup to the table and everyone dished their portions, my father eyeing Bella's most carefully.

Bella caught him staring and blushed bright red, turning her attention to the carrots. I saw my father's brief chuckle before he tested the soup and nodded to Esme in approval.

Although the Italian cooking of my mother and grandmother would always come first for my father, Esme's homemade lunch came in at a close second.

"Very nice, Esme," he said, taking a second bowl. "You must pass this recipe on to Dora."

My mother just rolled her eyes and sipped from her spoon, setting it down carefully.

"Or you could pass it on to Aro," she suggested. "He's sixty seven years old and he still can't cook. Maybe a good recipe will spark some hidden talent."

There was a rumble of laughter at my father's expense, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Neither can his _papa_," said Nona, eying Papi with twinkling eyes. "I swear that man would starve if no one fed him."

Papi continued to eat proudly, not daring to defy Nona and her assumptions. My mother smiled at Nona, turning to my father.

"Really dear, what _can_ you cook?" she asked mischievously. "Besides cereal, of course."

"Sandwiches," he said simply. "And a pot of pasta."

I laughed again, thanking the high heavens my mother had had the good sense to teach me cooking.

I was nowhere near as good as Esme, but I could get along well enough.

"A pot of pasta, but no sauce to go with it," said my mother simply. "Be glad I like you well enough to keep you fed."

"I thank God for it every day," said my father dryly.

We laughed again, lightening the mood that much more. Bella, though she was thoroughly unfamiliar with my family, seemed to be taking in every word my father spoke.

She was overanalyzing things again, and I knew it was because she thought he didn't like her.

"Did Bella tell you what Emmett talked her into?" asked Alice suddenly, turning to both sets of grandparents. Emmett snickered as Bella groaned and put her head down on the table, embarrassed.

Alice told the story anyways, earning Emmett a scolding from his great-grandmother.

"That's hardly kind of you," she admonished. "Poor girl."

"Poor girl?" cried Emmett in defense. "She agreed to it!"

"Oh, I'm sure you had more than enough to do with her choice, young man," she said, pointing her spoon at him. "You're the adult in this situation, after all."

Emmett looked properly sheepish and turned to grin at his sister, who scowled at him and returned to her soup.

"And Esme made me clean it up," she said darkly, turning to Esme.

"You offered to help," she said breezily. "And Emmett had to shovel."

Bella laughed softly, unable to stay disgruntled for long, and returned to her food. She finished before anyone else had, and I knew my father's keen eyes were watching for her to take seconds.

She never did, but thankfully, he kept quiet about it.

"Come, _Bella,"_ said my grandmother suddenly. "I'll show you more pictures of my _Italia."_

Bella nearly leapt off her chair in her haste, obviously very taken with my grandparents. I saw her take Nona's hand, letting Papi follow behind them without so much as a flinch from her.

It was immense progress, and I was proud.

"What's Mama been doing with her?" asked dad suddenly, turning to Marcus. Marcus smirked.

"Convincing her to coax Carlisle into taking her down to Italy for a visit," he said, grinning at me.

"I will," I agreed. "I'll take all the kids down. After the trial, maybe."

"Well, at this rate, Mama's going to convince her to ask you to move there," said Marcus. "She's enamored with that girl."

"Good for her," I said happily. "I'm glad they're getting along."

"Did you really expect them not to?" asked Marcus.

I just smiled and began collecting the dishes. My father waited at the table for me to finish, knowing Esme wouldn't let him help.

"She didn't eat much," he said again, eying Bella's dish.

"I told you," I said. "It's not as if we tell her no."

"She'll learn to eat," he said. "You'll see."

"No doubt I will," I said. "Do you want to go into the sitting room with the rest?"

"I think I'll go settle in, if you don't mind," he said. "I don't think I can stand much more of my mother right now."

Dad and his mother had always bumped heads, from the first day he was born, according to Nona.

"Alright," I agreed. "We have the two of you down here in the guest room."

"Perfect," he said. "I'll go grab my bags."

"Need any help?"

"If you don't mind," he said. "I'd appreciate it."

My father and I moved to the door, where the vehicles were lined up. Together, we lifted all six of the heavy suitcases from the car and moved them towards the house, where we brought them all to the appropriate rooms.

My father also helped me with my grandparent's bags, leaving it to my boys and I to lug them up the stairs.

My father had a bad back.

Once we had the bags settled in mine and Esme's bedroom, we moved back downstairs to find that everyone- besides Bella and my grandparents- had moved from their spots.

"And this is _Roma,"_ said Nona gently, showing Bella an old photograph. "You can see Trevi behind me, just there."

"What's Trevi?" asked Bella.

"A magnificent fountain," said Nona softly. "_Bella Trevi."_

"I'm Bella," she said, confused.

"Indeed you are," said Nona, rather enjoying Bella's confusion. _"Bella_ has a meaning in Italian, _amore."_

"Really?" she asked, enthralled. "What's it mean?"

"Beautiful," said Nona gently. "Beautiful Trevi."

Bella flushed bright red, looking back down.

"Who's that?"

"That's Neptune," said Nona, thrilled with her interest. "God of the sea."

"And why's he got horses?"

"One horse is calm, the other angry," explained Nona. "It represents the two sides of the sea—gentle and stormy."

"Oh."

Bella stared at the photograph for a moment longer before Nona flipped the page in her album.

"This is _Firenze,"_ she explained. "Florence, in English."

"The city?"

"Yes," she said. "There's the statue of David."

"He's naked!" yelped Bella, turning away and blocking her eyes. "Why doesn't he have clothes on?"

Papi laughed heartily, watching his wife and Bella most carefully.

"Many of the sculptures and paintings of this time lacked modesty," said Nona, chuckling. "Trevi was just as bare. It's only a statue."

"It's a _naked_ statue," she returned tartly.

I chuckled and left the three of them to their business… Nona loved teaching people about the famous landmarks she'd been to see across Italy, and I wasn't about to ruin her fun.

I turned around, only to find my father not two feet from me, watching the interaction as well.

"She seems to love my mother," he said with a sigh, "and her pictures."

"Bella likes to learn," I said gently. "Let's leave them be."

"I know," he said softly, watching. "Where's your mother?"

"In the kitchen with Esme, talking recipes," I said gently. "We seem to be the only two with nothing to do."

"Let's find something, then," he returned.

"We could go back upstairs," I said, "and catch up."

"Sounds fine," he said easily. "Lead the way."

Once in my study, with the door closed and locked, I took out one of my bottles of Cognac and poured a glass for each of us.

"Very nice," my father said, taking a sip.

"It had better be," I laughed. "I'm risking both of our necks if my wife finds out. Not to mention it was _incredibly_ expensive."

"I'd imagine it was," he agreed, setting his glass down. "Any new additions to your library?" he asked, looking around me.

"I've recently found good leather bound editions of some of my classics," I said. "Jane Eyre, for one."

"Hm."

My father wasn't into classical literature.

"I've also updated my medical library," I continued. "Keep up with the times, you know…"

"I want to know more about Isabella," said my father, cutting across me. "Tell me more."

"Like what?" I asked, confused. "You already know what I know."

"Of course I don't, boy," he said impatiently. "You know _her. _I know her story."

"She likes blue," I said. "And the dog. She _loves_ the dog."

"Where is that beast, anyhow?" he asked, his nose crinkled.

"Up in her bedroom," I admitted. "She shut him up there to keep him out of trouble."

"Any luck with training him?"

"Bella's got a good handle on him," I admitted. "He listens to her."

"Good," he said. "Pets are good company."

It was almost funny to watch my father's attitude towards Jake change with the simple revelation that he helped Bella.

"What else?"

"She's learning to read," I said. "Jasper's been helping."

"He's a good boy," decided dad. "A lot like you were at that age."

I smiled into my glass.

"She's not good with math, but we're planning on getting her ready for some homeschooling soon," I continued.

"You said she takes medication," he asked, prying further into her life.

"Yes," I sighed. "She takes medication for her heart and the transplant, as well as an antianxiety medication."

He grunted, displeased once more.

"She should have never been given a reason to be anxious," he grumped. "She's just a little girl."

It was clear my father was taken with Bella, even if she was leery of him.

"I know," I said. "I've said that every day since she's been here."

"That girl's life has been a mess," he declared. "Some sort dark waltz that should have been light and gentle."

I drained the last of my Cognac, staring intently at my father and his analogy.

_A dark and twisted waltz._

"I suppose you're right," I conceded sadly.

"I _know_ I am," he returned. "No child's life should be as hers has been."

"She's making up for it now," I said gently. "She's happy."

"And I'm very glad for it, Carlisle. Nothing makes me happier."

**A/N: Let me know what you think!**

**I also have a suggestion for everyone... I'm shocked no one's picked up on it before now (since you're all VERY observant). Take a second look through one of the earlier chapters in the story (it's a little detail) and the extra GoogleDocs links on my profile (I'm not telling which one). See if you can spot an interesting plot development that'll come up later on in the story.**

**If you think you've got it, let me know! (of course, I can't tell you if you're right or not...)**

**:)**


	47. Chapter 46

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 46**

**A/N: Almost at 1700 reviews! 300 more to go!**

**...and no one was able to guess the upcoming plot development. That's okay. You'll all find out soon enough (and I WILL let you know when it is, so don't go thinking every little plot development is THE development I've referenced).**

BPOV

Falling asleep that night had been a hard task, but with Jake's snuggling and the gentle sound of piano from my headphones, I slept relatively well.

When I woke up early the next morning, however, I found myself in the same predicament I'd been in the day before… what was I supposed to wear?

Jake watched with avid interest as I flitted through my wardrobe, finding a decent sort of green skirt and a white top. The skirt, much to my pleasure, was long and light, covering up any and all scars on my legs.

…I didn't need anyone—namely Carlisle's father—asking about those.

I was sure Carlisle's dad didn't like me much.

"Come, Jake," I said softly, earning a yawn from my puppy as I opened my bedroom door. We made our way down the stairs quietly, knowing that everyone would still be sleeping, and found the back door. I let Jake out on his lead, closing the door behind him and leaving him to his outside time.

"Good morning."

The voice startled me and I jumped back, gasping sharply as I came face to face with the dark haired _Pop, _Aro.

"Morning."

"How was your night?" he asked politely, sipping his coffee. "I trust you slept well?"

"Mhm." I nodded quickly, pressing myself against the counter. He stayed where he was, ever watchful.

"Do you drink coffee?" he asked, moving towards the pot.

"I'm not allowed," I blurted, my voice seeming very loud. "It's got lots of caffeine."

"Right," he said softly, stepping back once more. "Caffeine's not good for you, is it?"

"No."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"You should eat, _dolcezza."_

I had no idea what that word meant, but I wasn't staying around long enough to find out.

"Maybe later," I said, looking for an escape. I turned to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. "I've got to go find my medicine."

"Of course," he said easily. "I'll wait for your friend, if you'd like." He glanced over at Jake.

"Sure. Just let him in when he's ready."

"I know," he said softly. "Nice talking to you."

"Bye."

Water bottle in hand, I darted from the kitchen with sweaty palms and a racing heart, ready to find my medicine before I freaked out and had a panic attack. Carlisle, I knew, kept the medication locked in his study.

My feet seemed unnaturally loud on the staircase as I marched up, and I didn't like it. When I came tom Carlisle's study, I found the door locked tight.

_Now what?_

Edward, I knew, was still sound asleep and I didn't have the heart to wake him. Emmett and Alice had been up late, catching up with their grandparents, and I knew Carlisle and Esme would never go to sleep before their guests. Rosalie and Jasper had just as much of a chance of getting into the study as I did, and there was no _way _I was going to ask Carlisle's dad if he knew how.

But I needed my Ativan.

Jake's nails scratched on the second story landing, obviously having been let in, and before long, he stood right next to me, panting.

"Quiet," I chastised. "People are sleeping."

He watched, knowing very well what I was waiting for… he was much smarter than he looked.

He whined.

"Not now, Jake," I begged. "Please be quiet."

He gave me a peculiar look before he tore off back downstairs, leaving me quite at a crossroads.

I'd _never _woken Carlisle up from his sleep before, and I really didn't want to now. The butterflies from speaking with Carlisle's father had grown into something much bigger—irrationally bigger—and I knew I needed that pill.

My hands began to shake, and I willed Jake to come back.

"Stop that," I heard Aro say. "Stop that this minute!"

Jake barked, and I cringed, knowing he'd wake the entire house if Mr. Aro didn't give him what he wanted.

"What is your problem?" he demanded in a hiss, his voice sounding much closer.

He was coming up _here._

My breath hitched, and I thought about making a mad dash for my bedroom, but they were almost here.

"What's the problem?" asked Aro once more. "What?"

"Jake!" I gasped, seeing what the dog had done. He had Mr. Aro's pant leg in his mouth, having jerked and pulled to bring him just where he wanted him.

"Are you alright?" asked Aro, catching sight of me outside Carlisle's study. "Do you know what he wants?"

I simply stared at him, swallowing thickly as Jake whined again, scratching Carlisle's door and sniffing the space above the floor.

"Get away," I snapped, embarrassed. Jake ignored me.

"Are you alright?" asked Aro, watching me. "You look pale."

"Carlisle keeps my medicine in there," I blurted, pointing to the door. "It's locked."

Aro's eyes widened and he looked very awkward as he glanced at the knob.

"Do you need it right now?" he asked. "Do you want me to wake my son?"

"No don't wake him up," I begged. "I'll be fine."

Jake barked—providing evidence to the contrary.

"Don't be silly, _dolcezza," _he said. "I'll be right back."

And Aro left me once more on the third floor, with a pacing dog and a racing heart. I felt my resolve crumbling around me as I thought of what Carlisle would think of me when he found me panicking, and I slid down to the floor with my knees up against my chest.

Jake kissed me up the side of my face, earning him another scolding.

He was germy.

"Bella?" asked Carlisle groggily, coming up the stairs with his father close behind. "Sweetheart, what are you doing down there?"

"You didn't have to wake up," I said weakly. "I'm just fine."

Liar.

"Come on," he said softly, offering me his hands. "We'll get you what you need."

"I'll be downstairs, son," said his father. "Come down when you're ready."

"Thanks dad," said Carlisle softly. "Come, Bella."

He unlocked the door with the key, and gently led me inside. He moved right to the drawer on his desk and procured the pill container, opening the "Monday" capsule. The pills fell into my outstretched hand and I gulped them all down in one shot, managing not to gag.

"Are you alright?" he asked me gently, sitting me on his sofa. "You're white as a sheet."

"I didn't think he'd be up," I admitted, leaning tiredly on his shoulder. "Sorry for waking you."

"Don't be sorry," he chastised. "My father's always been an early bird. The lucky guy's never jetlagged."

I had no idea what jetlagged meant, but I didn't ask.

"Did he frighten you?" he asked softly. "I can assure you he didn't mean to."

"A little."

"Why?"

"He doesn't like me, Carlisle," I blurted. "I just _know _it."

"He likes you just as well as any of the others," he whispered. "No more, no less."

I kept quiet, keeping my doubts to myself.

"Are you going to be alright if we go back down?" he asked. "Would you rather stay up here?"

"I'll be fine," I said, taking great comfort in the use of the word _we._

"Only if you're sure," he said. "No panic?"

"Not anymore," I said. "The Ativan helped."

"I'm glad," he said. "Let's go get some breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat, Bella," he said softly. "My father, for one, thinks you eat too little."

I felt my face heat up, knowing Mr. Aro had watched me at lunch and dinner yesterday.

"I eat enough," I argued. "I'm just little."

Carlisle just smiled, not saying a word in return.

"You remember that Alec and Jane are arriving today?" he asked. "We're expecting them later this afternoon."

"I know."

"Don't take Jane to heart," he warned. "She's always been difficult."

"Why doesn't she like Esme?" I wondered. _"Everyone_ likes Esme."

"Not everyone," he said sadly. "Jane's just…"

I waited for him to finish.

"Well, she's _Jane."_

"Oh."

"Let's go find some breakfast," he said again, offering me his hand. "Esme should be up soon, and maybe we could make her something."

ooOoo

Carlisle and I had made pancakes, me being more of a hindrance than a help. Mr. Aro had decided to make himself scarce and remained in the sitting room, watching the morning news on CNN, while Carlisle instructed me on the proper way to crack eggs.

I always got shells in mine.

Just as we were finishing, Carlisle's grandparents had woken up and been decidedly happy to see Carlisle and I together. We had mountains of pancakes by the time Esme was awake, and I knew she was glad we'd cooked.

She'd looked sort of panicked when she realized what time it was.

All the others—Alice, Emmett, Edward, Jasper and Rosalie—had woken up just as we were finishing, and then, we all sat around the table to eat.

Afterwards, everyone had gone their separate ways, preparing for the day. Jake hovered and bothered where he could, making my cheeks red, but nonetheless, everything got done.

It was one o' clock before everyone was gathered again, and by that time, Esme and I were almost finished with lunch.

"Take this, would you?" she asked easily, handing me a tray of veggies. "Set it out for everyone."

"Okay," I replied, moving away. Esme, it turned out, was very quick and efficient when she needed to be, and I was glad I could be of help to her.

Only when I reached the dining room did I hesitate, seeing Mr. Aro in the seat closest to me. Everyone else looked busy—engaged in conversation—but he was watching me again.

I was absolutely _positive_ he didn't like me.

"Looks wonderful," he said softly. "Thank you."

I stared at him, placing the tray down in the middle of the people, not knowing what to say.

My brother saved me by grabbing a handful of carrots all for himself.

"You need to share, you know," I said. "They're for _everyone."_

Emmett, just to spite me, took the handful and bit the top off of each stick, making them solely his.

"You're gross," complained Alice, reaching for broccoli instead.

"You smell," he returned childishly. Alice's eyes rolled and she smiled at me before I took my leave, escaping Mr. Aro and his watchful eyes.

Carlisle, I noticed, watched me as well.

"What else, Esme?" I asked, glancing over at the counter. "Don't you have to go soon?"

"I do," she confirmed, looking at the clock. "They should be arriving by bus at the diner in about twenty minutes."

"Oh."

"Could you handle this?" she asked, gesturing to the plates of food. "I've got to get the salad going or else we won't be eating until dinner."

"Mhm," I said, taking a platter in each hand. I carried them back to the dining room, once again finding Mr. Aro in the seat closest to the door.

This time, though, Carlisle was talking to him and he wasn't looking at me.

My hands shook as I put the platters down, escaping as fast as I could. Esme had only one more plate left, and I took it, repeating my trip once more.

Esme looked flustered.

"Here, dear," she said, handing me a stack of plates and cutlery. "Thank you for being so helpful."

"You're welcome," I said. "Are you eating?"

"I'll eat what I can," she said, following behind me with the salad.

I sat as far away from Aro as possible, ending up between Jasper and Rosalie. Esme dished her food first, knowing she had to leave, before she passed it on to Mr. Aro.

He took some of the salad and vegetables before he reached for some sandwiches.

"Looks great, Esme," he said softly. "When do you have to leave?"

"Fifteen minutes," she said softly. "I'm running late."

The food came my way and I took a little of each, taking two sandwich wedges to stop Carlisle from making me take more.

Everyone mingled while we ate, but although Nona tried to include me, I just wasn't following along. Eventually Papi turned to whisper to Carlisle, earning him a gentle nod. Carlisle said nothing more while he finished, eventually rising from his spot. I had picked at my food, but hadn't eaten much, and he'd obviously noticed.

"Come with me, sweetheart," he whispered gently on his way by. Only Jasper and Rosalie would've heard him, but they said nothing on the matter.

I took up my plate and followed him into the kitchen, letting him take my plate.

"Come to my study with me," he said softly, taking my hand. "Are you alright?"

"Yep."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm," I lied.

I was anxious, and I knew he knew it.

"Come on," he said again, gently leading me up the stairs. Jake, having been begging under the table at lunch, followed along, his nails clicking rhythmically on the hardwood. We came to the study and he opened the door, leading me and my puppy inside before he closed the door. He moved straight to the cabinet behind his desk, unlocking it with his key, and took out one of my prescription bottles.

My Ativan.

"I don't need another one," I protested. "I'm fine."

"No, you're anxious," he said softly. "There's no shame in taking medication when you need it."

I let him hand me the little white tablet, swallowing it without a drink of water.

"Sit and let that kick in before you go back downstairs," he suggested. "With Alec and Jane coming, I need you to be calm."

"I _am_ calm," I argued. "Just a little tense."

"You're more than tense, Bella," he said. "Do I need to have Carmen down here for a visit?"

"No," I said quickly. "She's on her break."

Carmen had decided to only continue with her "most urgent cases" over the two week break, and I was glad to say that I was no longer "most urgent".

I'd progressed in our five sessions, and both she and I were pleased with what we'd done.

"That's irrelevant," he said softly. "She'd come for you and you know it."

"I'm not ruining Carmen's Christmas plans," I said firmly. "She's busy."

"If you're sure you're alright," he said gently. "I know you're nervous around my father."

I didn't argue that point, and Carlisle continued.

"Might I ask why you're afraid of him?" he asked. "He's been kind, has he not?"

"He's nice," I admitted awkwardly. "I don't know why he scares me."

"He's not the most interactive," he mused. "Perhaps that's it?"

"I don't know."

Carlisle simply watched me for a long moment, quiet and contemplative.

"Well, I'm sure you'll warm up to him," he said finally. "Are you ready to go back downstairs?"

"I think so," I said, taking a deep breath. "Is Esme back yet?"

"Let's go see," he said, smiling.

I walked to the door and pulled it open, prepared to return downstairs, but was blocked by my sister.

"Are you alright, Bella?" she asked, taking my hand in hers. "You looked a little tense."

"I'm fine," I said, squeezing her hand. "Is Esme back?"

"Not yet," she said. "She should be here any minute, though."

"Okay."

Alice led me down the stairs and into the sitting room, where, as the room's name suggested, everyone was sitting.

"Come here, Boo," said Emmett jovially, wiggling his fingers. "Sit with me."

Alice followed as well as I went and sat in the middle seat of the couch, right next to my brother.

"You okay?" he asked softly, leaning down to whisper.

"Yeah."

"Good. You looked ready to run in the dining room."

My cheeks flamed, but I said nothing more on the matter.

"When's the last time you saw Alec and Jane?" I asked curiously.

"About seven years ago," he said. "Last time they were here was Christmas of 2003, I think."

"Oh."

"Esme took a trip down about five or six years ago, and they all had a falling out," said Emmett tactfully. "They haven't seen each other since."

"Are they still fighting?" I asked quietly.

"No," said Emmett easily. "They made up almost right after it happened, but…"

"But what?"

"Nothing," he said softly. "Never mind."

"No," I began. "What—"

Esme's car crunched along the snow as she returned from the diner where her brother and sister-in-law had been dropped off by the bus. I felt my anxiety rising again, in spite of the Ativan. Nona, I saw, was watching the newcomers very closely with Carlisle's mom, Nana.

"I'll be right back," said Carlisle. "I'll go help them with their bags."

He disappeared around the corner and I watched out the window as he descended the outside steps, waving. Esme stepped out of the car and in the backseat behind her, a man came out.

He had Esme's hair colour and her blue eyes, and I would know immediately who his sister was. Carlisle stepped to the passenger side door in the front and opened it up for the little woman inside.

She was short and blonde and thin, and she didn't look very happy.

Esme, however, moved right to the man and gave him a hug, positively beaming from ear to ear as she looked her brother over. They appeared to be in the midst of an enthusiastic conversation, both looking interested.

Carlisle was stuck with the sulky woman—Jane, I assumed—and I watched with rising anxiety as they moved towards the house.

Emmett, much to my dismay, rose from his seat and quite nearly ran to the door, ready to greet his uncle.

"Always enthusiastic," said Mr. Aro gently, watching my brother with a smile.

At least he liked Emmett.

As we watched, Emmett appeared outside in the snow in his running shoes, ready to help with the bags. There was a loud and happy greeting between Emmett and the man, and Emmett took three bags at once in his large arms.

They only brought four.

"You look anxious again," said Alice, pulling me into a slight hug. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Alice," I said, lying.

She had no chance to reply, since at that moment, the door opened and everyone perked up. I shrank into my small sister, hoping she'd divert any unwanted conversation, and waited.

"Right through here," said Esme. "I'm sure you remember."

"Of course," said a deep, gentle voice. "Where are the rest of those kids of yours?"

"In the sitting room," said Carlisle. "We've got you set up in my study on the third floor."

"Sounds fine, Carlisle," said the deep voice. "I'm glad we were able to make it down."

"So are we, Alec," said Esme softly. "Come on through and we'll introduce you."

The footsteps approached and I saw my brother first, returning to me. He moved right to the sofa, but rather than sit down, he stood behind it and rested his hands on my shoulders.

He squeezed and it felt very nice, so I let him keep his hold.

"Alec, Jane, these are my parents, Aro and Dora," said Carlisle. "The pair over there are my grandparents, Greg and Allegra. That one is my Uncle Marcus. Everyone, this is my brother-in-law, Alec, and his wife Jane."

"Nice to meet you," said Aro, leaving the quiet, sullen little woman to her wave.

All eyes turned to me now, and I felt very uncomfortable.

"And this is Bella," said Esme softly.

Alec smiled at me and took a step forward, earning him a deep breath from me.

His wife just moved to the empty chair in the room, sitting down without a word to anyone else.

"Hello Bella," he said easily. "I'm your uncle Alec."

_My uncle Alec… I had an uncle Alec._

"Hi."

He just watched me with those eyes that were so like Esme's, and I couldn't help but like him a bit… he seemed kind and gentle and just… _Esme._

"How are you?" he asked. "I was told on the drive in that you've been reading some interesting books."

And that's how my relationship with Uncle Alec began.

Jane Evenson never said one word to me or anyone else, but Alec had enough voice for the two of them. To my shock, he ignored his wife's moodiness and continued on as if there was nothing out of place, and was very excited when Esme told him we were to decorate the tree after supper tonight.

Supper was hectic, as I had expected, since the table was full and there was a lot of food being passed around. Jane was still quiet, but could be seen giving Esme the stink-eye when she thought no one was looking. Alec was very happy to talk with all of his nieces and nephews he hadn't seen in years, and Carlisle's family was more than taken with him.

I noticed, however, that Esme seemed emotional, and remained bright-eyed throughout the meal.

After dinner, we had some fun. Esme, it turned out, had boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations to use for the tree, and although I had no idea what to expect, I was very excited.

My anxiety had all but dissipated.

"Everyone, gather around," said Esme eagerly, opening a relatively new box and looking inside. "I've got something new this year."

I leaned over to peek inside, finding nothing but smaller boxes.

"I've had everyone's name put on a Christmas ball," she said happily. "Alice?"

Alice peeked around her shoulder, took the box and kissed her cheek before she opened it up to look. It was a pink ball with purple writing inside, spelling out her name in curly letters.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, examining it.

"I'm glad you like it, dear," she said. "Jasper."

She handed out all the balls, making me laugh when Papi opened his and found out that it was green, white and red.

"Wonderful!" he cried. "Very nice!"

Jaspers was blue and gold, Emmett's was orange and red, Edward's was green and gold and Rosalie's was red and silver. Esme reached in for the last box in the bunch, holding it out to me.

My ball, spelling out the letters B-E-L-L-A in cursive, was sparkly deep blue and silver, glinting in the firelight. The fragile glass was smooth and perfectly round, and I loved the feel of it.

"Thank you, Esme," I said, treasuring the ornament.

"You're very welcome," she said easily.

We all stood silently for a short moment before she turned to Uncle Alec, Carlisle and Marcus.

"You boys can string the lights!" she said, eying the tall tree. Emmett laughed heartily and watched on with great amusement as they fumbled on ladders and cursed at the uncooperative lights.

All in all, it was great fun watching three grown men find an adversary in Esme's innocent Christmas lights.

Jane stood in the background, and much to my discomfort, her eyes were glued to me.

Soon, however, Uncle Alec, Marcus and Carlisle had the lights evenly dispersed around the tree, and the rest of the decorations were ready to go. Esme had more Christmas balls, tinsel, ribbon, angels, popcorn and all sorts of strings and hooks, leaving it up to everyone to help out.

It was a very big tree, after all.

I helped with the bottom half of the tree, enjoying my experience as I hung balls and ribbons. Emmett was up on the ladder making sure the decorations went all the way up to the top, and soon, all that was left was the star for the top and everyone's name balls.

All the custom balls Esme had purchased went wherever the owner wanted it to go, and mine went smack in the middle of Edward and Emmett.

This year, it was Emmett's turn to put the star on the top, and he did so easily. Carlisle plugged the lights in and I watched, wide-eyed, as the tree lit up.

It was beautiful.

"What do you think?" asked Edward softly, having come up from behind. "Do you like it?"

"It's wonderful," I said honestly.

"I'm glad you like it," he whispered. "It's something we do every year."

I had nothing to say to that, so I wisely kept quiet.

"Well, we're pooched," said Alec suddenly, having moved to stand beside his wife. "I think we'll head on up to bed."

"Have a good sleep," said Esme. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Es," said Alec gently, stepping forth to hug his sister.

Jane glared.

"Goodnight," she said, soft and teary like she was at dinner.

Esme had missed her brother, and I suddenly found myself being drawn to my own.

Alec disappeared without further ado, wishing everyone a soft goodnight, leaving the rest of us in the sitting room. The crowd dispersed soon after, leaving Carlisle, Esme and Marcus to return to the basement where they were sleeping for the time being. Alice left after all the adults had gone to bed, Rosalie following soon after. Jasper and Emmett left as well, leaving Edward and I behind.

"Ready?" he asked gently, taking my hand. "I'm kind of tired."

"Me too."

We walked up the steps, hand in hand and silent as the grave. There was some noise on the second floor, but when we reached our floor, we could hear some commotion in the study.

"I don't know why you're acting like this," said Alec lowly, his voice carrying. "You're being very rude."

"Just go to bed," snapped Jane, letting me hear her voice. Her voice was high and girlish, much like her appearance, and it grated on my nerves.

"Not until you explain," said Alec angrily. "My sister's done nothing to earn your hate."

"Oh so now you side with her?" demanded Jane.

"Stop that," said Alec. "You know there's no sides."

"There _are,"_ she returned. "You…"

"Goodnight, Bella," said Edward, interrupting the argument. "I'll see you in the morning."

"G'night." Jake was waiting for me outside my door, having bumbled his way up here when the activities downstairs had gone on too late for him. I nudged him with my toes, letting him jump up eagerly as Uncle Alec and Jane's argument continued.

I was too far from the door to make out any words.

In my room, I found myself tired and worried, having let Esme's emotion get to me. She had _missed _her brother and it made me wonder what had really happened to cause such a fight in the first place.

My pyjamas were easy enough to find and I dressed in a hurry, jumping under my covers to warm up. Jake laid down on my floor tonight, tired and disoriented, and I let him stay there.

Why was Esme so estranged from her big brother? What had happened to cause such a rift?

Thinking about Esme's family troubles made me think of my own big brother and how upset I'd be if we didn't see each other for years. My brother made me mad sometimes, but I loved him and I wanted him around.

I wanted to cry now, knowing how Esme felt. Esme wanted her big brother like I wanted mine, and in a blink of an eye, I was on my feet and moving to my door.

I wanted my brother, and I knew just where he was. Jake stayed behind as I snuck out my door, finding that the argument had ended.

My feet padded down the steps to the second floor, and although I struggled a bit in the dark, I found Emmett's door quickly. Knowing he was still awake, I knocked softly.

He shuffled around behind the closed door for a moment, no doubt getting up to check who it was before he invited anyone in. I shuffled awkwardly, not wanting to be caught hovering, just as Emmett's knob turned and it cracked open, letting him peek out.

"Bell?"

I simply stared at him, very glad that we were once again on speaking terms.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, opening his door to let me inside. I crept into his room, remembering it from when I'd first spent the night, listening as he closed the door with a snap.

"What's the problem?" he asked again, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"I love you," I sighed, reaching around for a hug. He obliged quickly and without hesitation, letting me squeeze.

"Love you too, Boo," he said gently. "What's wrong?"

I didn't answer and forced back the tears as I thought of Esme and what _could_ happen if Emmett and I were to fight like Esme and Alec had.

"Are you crying?" he demanded, worried. "Do you need dad?"

"No," I said, answering both questions at once. "I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

We moved to his bed and without much thought, I crawled in and scooted to the side, letting him lay down next to me.

"What if we fight like Esme and Alec did?" I worried.

"We won't," he said simply. "Is that what's worrying you?"

I didn't answer, letting the silence speak for itself.

"Bella, don't worry about that," he said, reaching his arm around me. "I love you."

"Promise we won't ever fight like that," I pleaded. "I don't want you to go away."

He watched me for a long moment before he pulled the blankets up around us, letting me spend the night with him.

"I promise," he said softly. "I'd never give you up."

"Give me up?" I asked, confused.

"That's a conversation for another time," said Emmett softly. "It's not my story to tell."

"He gave her up?" I asked, aghast.

"Not my story," he repeated. "I've said too much already. You'll have to ask Esme about it."

But she was so sad.

"Okay."

"Goodnight, Bell," he said gently. "Close your eyes and sleep."

"Goodnight Emmett."

And with my brother beside me and my fears assuaged for the time being, I gently closed my eyes and let myself sleep.

**A/N: 300 reviews to go! ALSO: see if you can guess again as to what that plot development will be.**

**I'll only give you one hint: take a look at Rosalie.**


	48. Chapter 47

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 47**

**A/N: My goodness! Almost _everyone's _mind jumped straight to Rosalie being pregnant.**

**Sad to say though, you're wrong.**

**No babies.**

**ALSO: take a look at the family tree and you'll see that Rosalie IS NOT related to Jane.**

**My hint could have been a little clearer too... take a look at Rose and Jasper and where they come from. Not just Rosalie.**

BPOV

"…she should be up!"

"Shh! Let her sleep, for God's sake."

"Stop bickering, you two."

"Mom, it's 7:30! We've got to get moving!"

"Emmett Charles, be quiet."

"She's moving!"

"Emmett shut up!"

"Come downstairs."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"_Yes!"_

"That's_ enough!"_

"Mom, come on!"

"No—"

"She's sleeping—"

"Leave her be—"

"Wake_ up—"_

Eventually, I'd had enough of the bickering and I opened my eyes, finding myself face to face with Esme, Alice, Edward and most prominently, Emmett.

"Merry Christmas, Boo!" he cried jovially. "Come on downstairs!"

"Sorry Bella," said Alice, a sheepish smile on her face. "We tried to stop him."

"I can't be stopped, Tink," said Emmett scornfully. "Now let's go. We've got shit to open."

"Watch your mouth, Emmett," snapped Esme tartly. "Today, of all days."

"Yeah, sorry," he said dismissively. "Come on!"

And then, though I was still half-asleep, I let my brother drag me downstairs to the sitting room where the rest of the family—Jane included—was gathered around the tree.

I'd never seen so many colourful packages in my life.

"Jake, get away!" said Alice crossly, shooing the dog away from one of her own packages.

"Merry Christmas," I said softly, rubbing sleep from my eyes.

My red and green packages stood out amongst the sea of colors, and I felt myself growing nervous about how everyone would like their gifts.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," said Esme cheerfully, giving me a tight Christmas morning hug. "Come and sit. Would you like some hot chocolate?"

I gaped at her before looking at Carlisle, knowing he didn't like it when I had things like chocolate.

"It's Christmas," he laughed. "I'll let it slide today."

"Yes please," I said easily, unable to stop myself from smiling. I moved to one of the empty seats—next to Marcus—and rested, trying to wake up a little more.

"Here Boo," said Emmett excitedly, rushing forth with a large, very full stocking in his hand. My eyes widened as he plopped it down on my lap.

I noticed all the other "kids" in the house with their own stockings, some opened and some still packed full of things.

Edward smiled at me and took his as well, obviously having waited for me.

"What's this for?" I asked, examining the overstuffed sock.

"You," said Emmett easily.

"Why?"

"Because it's Christmas!" he said exasperatedly. "Look inside."

I hesitated for a moment before I reached in and grabbed out a new notebook and some pens, all the while sneaking glances at my staring brother.

"When you're small, you get stockings from Santa," said Emmett easily. "Now we know better, but they're still pretty cool."

Emmett's stocking—the dark blue one— had been emptied and its contents piled ceremoniously in the corner.

I grew more and more excited as I pulled little knick-knacks out of the stocking. Carlisle and Esme had gotten me notebooks, pens, pencils, drawing paper, candy, chocolate (even though I _knew_ Carlisle would protest), new underwear (I blushed bright red and stuffed those away quickly), some Christmas socks (which I put on as soon as I had my hands on them), a bobble-head Santa and even a necklace.

At the bottom, right in the toe, I found a wrapped package with a decorative tag on it.

_For Jake, _it said. I beamed up at Carlisle, glad that my puppy had been remembered. Jake, having been rooting around in my pile, cocked his head to the side and sniffed at the package.

"It's for you," I cooed. "Merry Christmas, puppy!"

I debated for a moment—contemplating giving Jake the package to unwrap himself—but decided that he would make more of a mess. I tore the paper off gently, peeking inside. I found some treats, a new leash and a rubber ball that squeaked.

Jake, upon seeing the new toy, snatched it up and tossed it against the far wall, tail waving back and forth as he snarled and yipped.

Alice looked pleased as well, and I glanced over at her, unsure what to do now.

"Here we go," said Esme, returning with a large tray. On top, she had mugs and two glass pitchers that I knew to be filled with coffee and hot chocolate.

Everyone besides Rosalie and I chose coffee, and I thought they were all crazy.

"Dinner's already started," said Esme easily. "The turkey's in the oven and we're good to go!"

Dinner at seven thirty in the morning?

"Is everyone alright?" she asked. "Can we start opening gifts?"

There was a murmur of assent and my butterflies grew. Much to my chagrin, Emmett acted as Santa and grabbed my gift for Jasper first.

I flushed bright red as he took it and smiled at me, opening it carefully. He folded the torn paper before he opened the unmarked box, and I knew Emmett was ready to scream.

Somehow, he seemed like the type to tear the paper to shreds and launch it at the wall in his haste to open his presents—not one to fold the wrapping paper.

"Thank you, Bella," he said, taking out the gift for everyone to see. I watched his reaction closely, and was glad to find that the strings and guitar case seemed to please him.

After that, things really got started. Emmett began handing out numerous gifts to different people, and before long, my first gift was in my lap.

_To Bella_

_Love, Carlisle and Esme_

I stared at the package for a moment before I bit the bullet and began disassembling the paper, gently peeling away the tape. Thankfully, Emmett was distracted with his new video game from me, and he wasn't harassing me to hurry up.

I peeled the paper away and found myself face to face with some sort of book. It wasn't a reading book, but rather a book of lessons and school exercises. I felt excitement bubbling in my tummy, knowing very well that it meant that Esme and Carlisle were going to start teaching me about school things.

I beamed over at her and she smiled gently, explaining that the pens and pencils in my stocking were to use for my school work too.

After the first gift was out of the way, I found myself just as excited as my brother was about his new iPad.

Emmett handed me gift after gift, and I only had eyes for my own things. Alice squealed when she found my gift cards, but I was much too focused on the golden paper on another one of my gifts to notice much.

I only barely realized that Esme was snapping photos every few seconds.

Under the golden paper I found a box, and when I opened it, I found some sort of video game.

Obviously, it was from my brother.

"It's a DS," he said easily, seeing my confusion. "You'll like it."

He and Rosalie had obviously collaborated, since I found a stack of DS games in the box she'd given me.

Alice's purple-wrapped gift was next, and inside, I found a bunch of beauty products. She had a hair product for my frizzies, some hairspray, a brush, nail polish, nail clippers, a facial kit, manicures and pedicures and a bunch of other things she liked to have in _her _room.

I would learn to use these products all on my own.

Carlisle and Esme gave me many more gifts aside from my new school books, like a golden bracelet, some clothes, some music like Edward had and a gift card for my computer to buy music online.

An iTunes gift card, it was called.

Jasper had decided to get me some more books he knew I wanted and some neat bookmarks and other things from the bookstore.

Edward's gift made me smile, and he seemed pleased that I liked it. He'd wrapped my gift in sparkly red paper and had added a big bow, leaving me at a standstill when I tried to open it.

For such a little box, that bow sure was big.

When I finally got the paper off, I found a long, smooth, white box that looked very much like the necklace and bracelet box. I gently opened the top and stared at the contents, unable to resist the urge to touch it.

It was a thin golden chain with a little sparkly heart hanging from it.

"It's an anklet," he said gently, coming forward. "Here."

He held out his hand for it, and I handed it over easily. He took the piece from the box and moved down to my foot, moving my sock out of the way to clip the chain around my ankle.

I noticed Mr. Aro looking at me as Edward helped me with the anklet, and I blushed when I saw his eyes on my ankle scars.

Luckily, Edward finished quickly and I was able to admire my foot from my place on the couch.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, seeing the severely depleted pile of unopened gifts. Esme was in the process of unwrapping my tea set, and she grinned at me when she found out what it was.

"Thank you, Bella," she said easily, opening the box to examine the new dishes. Everyone seemed satisfied—even Papi and Nona had gotten gifts from the entire family. The entire group—Alec and Jane, Nona and Papi and Mr. Aro and Nana Dora—had received a free trip to Cuba from "the family".

Carlisle had given Marcus an all-expenses paid Mediterranean cruise (whatever that was), since Carlisle said that it was "a much-needed vacation".

There were no more presents under the tree and as soon as I thought we were done, our houseguests began to bring out gifts of their own.

Every pair of guests and Marcus produced a mountain of gifts, and I grew anxious as Mr. Aro began handing out envelopes.

"These are from Dora and I, and can be redeemed whenever you feel it appropriate," he said, gently handing one to me.

_Bella,_ it said on the front. I gently opened it up and found a Christmas card inside. I admired the picture of the bulldog with a Santa hat on for a moment before I opened it up.

I was startled when three different things fell out and landed on my lap. The first two were very similar—long pieces of thick paper with all sorts of writing all over it.

The third thing was a card with my name and some numbers on it.

_Isabella Swan, _it said.

I didn't know what any of these things were, but I waited for an explanation. Everyone else only had two things, and I wondered why mine was different.

No one else had a little plastic card.

"They're airplane tickets, _dolcezza,"_ said Mr. Aro easily. "To Italy."

"We're going to Italy?" I blurted excitedly, looking at Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle just smiled at me, confirming the news, and I felt my tummy erupting in butterflies once more.

I wanted to go _now._

"The third thing in yours, _Bella,"_ began Nana Dora, "is a credit card. The rest of the children received theirs years ago. It has a limit of course, but Carlisle can explain the specifics to you."

A credit card?

"It's money, Boo," said Emmett easily. "You can spend a couple thousand per month on whatever you want."

"Thousands!" I yelped, dropping the card to the floor.

"We all have one, Bell," said Alice gently. "We got ours when we turned fourteen. You don't _have_ to spend money if you don't want to."

I picked up the little card once more, looking more closely.

Thousands of dollars in this little piece of plastic?

"We have gifts also," said Papi, nudging Nona. She reached into her large handbag and produced more envelopes.

"These go with Aro and Dora's gifts," she said easily, handing them to Mr. Aro to hand out. Aro read the names on the front and handed the envelopes to each person, ending with me.

This envelope was also filled with mysterious papers.

"Vouchers," said Nona happily. "For all the places you'd want to see in Italy. The Colosseum, the Vatican Museum, La Scala…"

Nona went on to describe all the places she thought we should visit, and I was nearly bursting with excitement.

We were going to _Italy._

"Thank you!" I said eagerly, almost bouncing with excitement.

Christmas was officially my favourite holiday.

"There's more!" said Marcus quickly, sensing that I thought we were done. "I've got things, and I know Alec does too."

Two more presents?

Marcus handed out boxes to each person, including Alec and Jane.

Everyone got something different, but I was pleased to find a Barnes and Noble gift card and some stickers to decorate my computer.

Alec was last, and though Jane made no effort to get up and help, I didn't let her get to me. Alec seemed happy as well, and soon enough, he had boxes upon boxes of things.

Uncle Alec and Jane's presents looked big, and I grew excited again as he plopped the two biggest ones in front of me. I opened the biggest one first, finding myself face to face with an easel.

Uncle Alec wanted me to paint.

"Thank you," I said, awed by the picture on the box. Uncle Alec smiled at me and Jane watched the floor, and I knew she was cranky.

Jane was always cranky.

The littler box waited for me as well, and I slowly peeled the paper away. Inside, I found a plastic bin.

I opened the bin and peeked in there as well, smiling when I saw what was inside.

Paints, pencils, paper, canvas, brushes, palettes, painting instructions and all sorts of artsy things to use with my easel.

I wanted to paint _now._

"Thank you!" I cried, happy as I dumped the art supplies onto the floor to look at all of it. Alec simply laughed and glanced over at Esme, who was watching me with my new paints.

"You're very welcome," he said. "Once we're done with breakfast, I'll help you set it up."

Right… breakfast.

"I've made pancakes," said Esme happily. "They're being kept warm in the oven."

Esme's stove had two ovens, so I knew the turkey wasn't baking with the pancakes.

"Nice," said Emmett appreciatively, holding the accessories for his Jeep in his hand. "Let's go!"

Breakfast went by quickly, especially for me since I shovelled down all my food as fast as I could, wanting to be done. Everyone chatted and shared Christmas stories and after _way_ too long, everyone was finished.

Uncle Alec looked at me, and I grinned at him, ready to go. As soon as he stood up, I bolted from my seat and plunked my plate in the sink, forgetting to even rinse it in my haste. I heard Esme laughing at me as I darted to the easel, bouncing impatiently as Alec appeared with some tools.

"I'm glad you like it," he said gently. "We weren't sure what to get you."

"I've always wanted paints," I said, though up until the moment I'd discovered my new art supplies, painting hadn't even crossed my mind.

"Good," he laughed, using a little knife to slice the tape on the box. "Jane and I searched through a lot of stores to find this."

"Jane looked too?" I blurted, astonished that his cranky, quiet wife would've looked for a present for me.

She didn't like me much.

Alec's cheeks coloured a bit and he sighed, pulling pieces from the box.

"Alright, _I _looked," he conceded. "Janie's not much of a shopper."

"Oh."

Jane, almost as if she could sense we were talking about her, was standing in the doorway, looking more surly than ever.

I quickly shut my mouth and looked away, determined to focus on the gift, not the giver.

"Are you coming to help or watch?" asked Alec suddenly, breaking the few tense moments of silence.

He sounded annoyed, and I felt uncomfortable.

Jane simply gave Uncle Alec a dirty look, keeping her mouth shut.

Uncle Alec began finding screws and washers and bolts and all sorts of little pieces to hold my gift together.

"We were supposed to have coffee this morning," said Jane suddenly, her high voice full of resentment.

"Things got busy," said Alec gently. "We'll have coffee tomorrow."

"Great," she said sarcastically, taking a step forward. "I thought you'd gotten over all this bullshit," she snapped. "I didn't realize you were still pining over it—"

"Jane," snapped Alec angrily, putting the screwdriver down and giving her a stern look.

"What?" she snarled back. "Pining over your sister's castaway kids won't change what—"

"Stop it right now," said Alec warningly, glancing at me. "Don't even go there."

Jane's nasty glare shifted to me, and I felt the urge to slink away.

They were going to fight, and I just knew it.

"Why not?" challenged Jane, confusing me. "You've always been more faithful to your darling _Esme—"_

"Jane, that's enough!" commanded Uncle Alec, his voice filled with authority. "It's Christmas, for Christ's sake. For once, could you just _try_ to be civil?"

"I _am_ being civil," she snarled dangerously, taking another few steps towards us. "Is it so wrong of me to want some time with my _husband?"_

"We've been married for fifteen years, Jane," he snapped, "seven of which I spend time with no one _but_ you."

"Whatever, Alec," she dismissed. "Come and find me when you're done playing house."

And with that, Cranky Jane walked up the stairs towards their makeshift bedroom on the third floor. Uncle Alec, looking quite put out, simply sighed and returned to my easel.

"Sorry Bella," he said gently. "She's a little…"

He never finished his sentence, and although I wanted to, I didn't finish it for him.

"She doesn't like me," I announced.

"That's not it at all," said Uncle Alec sadly. "Jane's just difficult."

"No, she doesn't like me," I repeated. "She doesn't really like _anyone_ here, I think."

He just sighed, not daring to contradict me with another lie.

Jane didn't like Esme, and because she didn't like Esme, she didn't like any of us.

On another note, though, my easel was beginning to take shape and despite Jane's interruption, I was growing excited.

"Where'd you meet Jane?" I asked, finding chatting very easy with Uncle Alec.

"At school," he said simply. "We were in high school together."

"Oh."

"She was in Esme's class," he explained. "She and my sister are both two years younger than me."

"Was she pretty then?" I asked curiously.

"I like to think so," he laughed. "She looked very similar to how she does now."

"When did you marry her?"

"We had our fifteenth anniversary this past July," he said. "We were married in July of '95 when I was 26."

"Oh."

"We both went to the University of Jacksonville, where Carlisle did his pre-law— I majored in history and Jane majored in biology."

"Oh."

"We're both licensed teachers, but Jane's unemployed at the moment."

I couldn't even _imagine_ Jane teaching a group of kids… she was far too cranky.

"Here we go," said Alec, tightening the last bolt on the easel. The little stool was done as well, having been already assembled and folded to fit into the box, and he pulled it out for me.

"Thanks," I said again, gently running my fingers down the smooth wood. The little ledge for my supplies called out to me, and I immediately moved to the box of paints.

"We'd better put some of this paper on the floor first," suggested Alec, grabbing a piece of wrapping paper. "We don't want to dirty my sister's hardwood floors."

He was very, very right… Esme would be most displeased if I painted on her floor. Alec collected some of the paper and arranged it around and under the easel, making sure I wouldn't get any paint on the floor. I took up the paints and arranged them in the little drawer, squeezing some colours out onto the palette.

I was going to paint our Christmas tree, since it was right in front of me and full of colours.

It took me all of twenty minutes to paint the tree, and although I wasn't as good of a painter as I'd have liked to be, by the time I was finished, I was giddy.

I _loved_ painting, I decided.

"Bella?" called Alice gently, popping her head into the sitting room.

She smiled when she saw me painting, and I let her see my tree. She smiled and admired it for a moment before she kissed my cheek and wished me another "Merry Christmas".

"Are you alright in here?" she asked gently. "Did you enjoy your morning?"

"Mhm," I said, answering both questions at once. "I like Christmas."

She laughed and pulled up a chair beside me, watching as I began to paint a sleeping Jake.

"Carlisle sends these," she said softly, placing the little cup of medicine beside me with a water bottle. Without much thought, I swallowed them down and continued with my picture, glad that Jake was sleepy and tired and not moving.

"You had a little easel when you were little," she mused, gently touching my new gift. "You used to finger paint."

I stopped painting Jake's nose and looked at Alice, amazed.

"I painted when I was little too?" I asked.

"You did," confirmed Alice. "You liked it, too."

"I can see why."

She just laughed, falling silent to let me finish. Jake's fur was hard to paint and eventually, I just let it go and painted him all brownish red without any real pieces of fur.

"You could hang these up in your room, if you want to," said Alice suddenly, after about ten minutes of silence. "You could use the cork board by your desk."

"Oh yeah!" I cried, having forgotten about my cork board.

Now, I was excited again.

"Were Uncle Alec and Aunt Jane fighting earlier?" she asked me suddenly, looking a little downcast.

"A little bit," I said awkwardly. "She was mad 'cause they didn't have coffee this morning together."

Alice scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"She is the most insufferable woman I've ever met," said Alice. "Minus maybe that Danielle from Phoenix."

I blushed.

"What else did she say?"

"She asked Uncle Alec if he was still pining," I said. "I don't know for what, though."

"That little—"

"And she called us 'Esme's castaway kids'."

Alice fired right up, wheeling around to look at the staircase.

"I ought to smack her," snarled Alice. "Today, of all days!"

"What's going on?" asked Esme, having been walking past the entranceway to hear Alice's shouting.

"Nothing."

"Jane!"

Both of our responses came at the same time, and I glanced exasperatedly at Alice.

Esme didn't need to be bothered by her sister-in-law's bad mood.

"What about Jane?" asked Esme sternly. "Has she been harassing you?"

"No," I said firmly, before Alice cut me off.

"She's been arguing with Alec again," said Alice sadly.

"Let it go, dear," said Esme gently. "It's not our battle."

"She called us your castaway kids!" cried Alice indignantly. "I should smack her!"

"Alice!" gasped Esme. "Don't you even _think _of it!"

Esme looked troubled by Jane's words for us, and I felt my cheeks heat up again.

"I painted Jake!" I said cheerfully, flashing the painting at Esme. I was successful in my attempts to change the subject, and Esme rushed over to critique it.

"It's beautiful, Bella," she praised. "I'll find you some tacks for your cork board."

"Thanks Esme," I grinned, adding my name and the date to the picture.

"_Jake", by Bella Swan_

_December 25, 2010_

"I'm glad you enjoyed your Christmas with us," said Esme softly. "Was it everything you expected it to be?"

I nodded gently and reached over to hug her, being careful not to touch her with my paint hand. I felt her hand smooth through my hair before she pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"Will you come and sit with us?" asked Esme softly. "Maybe take a look at some of the books you got? Emmett's waiting to set up your new video game, too…" she said, enticing me.

I closed the paints and let my brushes drop into the cup of water, abandoning my newfound art for the time being.

"Emmett!" I called, picking up the video game machine and the game chips. "I need your help!"

**A/N: Guess again!**


	49. Chapter 48

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 48**

**A/N: Once again, for those of you that missed it-**

**1) There is a hint somewhere in the previous chapters (can't say which) that gives a clue as to what's coming up next (drama-wise)**

**2) Rosalie IS NOT pregnant, nor are she and Jasper related to Jane in any way (except what's already been stated).**

**3) Rose isn't related to the Doctor. Good guess, though.**

**4) There is a very clear (but subtle) clue... everything's provided. If you find the right part of the story (the hint) and correlate it to the correct GoogleDocs link on my profile, you'll figure it out.**

**Guess again! AND PLEASE READ THE NOTE AT THE END FOR ANOTHER IMPORTANT MATTER.**

BPOV

Christmas dinner passed without a hitch, despite Jane's obviously foul mood (fouler than usual, anyways). She ate very little and said nothing at all, not even giving Esme a thank you after being waited on.

Alec looked grim as well, but he hid it well under a guise of conversation. Esme was sneaking glances at her brother, looking nervous, which in turn made Carlisle a little antsy.

Nothing went wrong, however, and the meal was peaceful and delicious. Esme had cooked a turkey for dinner, with dressing, carrots, peas, potatoes, bread, cranberry sauce, and all sorts of other dinner foods. For dessert, she'd made a mint-chocolate cake with homemade vanilla ice cream.

It was a delicious meal, and by the end, I was very full. Carlisle had moved into the sitting room to entertain the guests, while Esme and I cleared the table.

Dinner had taken place hours earlier, but we'd decided to watch _White Christmas_on television instead of clearing the dinner dishes.

"…and then they'll be going home on the eighth," finished Esme, having described the itinerary for the rest of everyone's stay here in Forks. "Alice, Jasper and Edward will be back in school on the same day, and once they're all back into routine, we'll start your schooling."

"Oh."

I washed the last dish that wasn't dishwasher safe, placing it gently in the draining board. I returned the soap to its proper place and wiped down the counter, determined to make my station clean.

I had something to ask Esme that had been bugging me ever since Jane had caused a fuss in the sitting room this morning, but I wasn't sure how to go about it.

"Did you hear me, Bella?" asked Esme concernedly, making my head snap up.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were finished at the sink," she said, concern lacing her voice. "Are you tired?"

"No," I said truthfully. "Not at all."

"What's wrong?" she asked, pulling out a bar stool at the island counter.

"Nothing's wrong," I said honestly, beating around the bush.

"You know you can tell me," she coaxed gently, looking very concerned.

She was stressing over nothing, and I didn't want her worrying.

"Is something wrong? Did Jane say something to you?"

"No…" I hedged, hesitant.

"What is it?"

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Of course," said Esme gently. "You know you can ask me anything."

"It's sort of none of my business," I warned her, feeling stupider by the minute.

"You can ask, Bella," she said again. "If I agree and it's _not_your business, I'll just say so."

"Why did you fight with Uncle Alec all those years ago?" I blurted, my face reddening more and more by the minute.

Esme, having been caught off guard, looked mildly surprised before she spoke.

"We had a disagreement," she said gently. "Alec and I were very close as children, but when our parents passed away, we drifted apart. At that point, Carlisle was getting ready for pre-med up north and Alec was just starting to teach in Jacksonville."

"Oh."

"It's silly, really," she said softly. "Jane was in my class at school and she was always very taken with Alec. She was…"

Esme hesitated.

"…difficult," she finished. "Alec proposed to Jane while she was still in school and they were married two years later."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Of course it was," she said gently. "I wanted my brother to be happy, and Jane seemed to make him happy."

"Your mom and dad weren't at your wedding?" I asked sadly, having finally caught on.

"Not at Alec's," said Esme softly. "They were there for mine and Carlisle's wedding."

"Oh."

"Alec might be two years older," she laughed, "but I was married three years before he was."

"Did you go to Uncle Alec's wedding?" I asked curiously.

"Of course," she said, smiling. "They both seemed so happy. It was only after the wedding that things got a little sour."

"Why?"

"For the first five years of their marriage, my brother and I were very close. We had dinner together whenever we were in the same town, we visited, we shared our lives together. Carlisle and I moved to Forks six years after we were married and we got Edward that same year."

"Were you glad to have kids?"

"Very," said Esme softly, watching me with her gentle blue eyes. "A few years before Edward, Carlisle and I tried to have a baby on our own, but it didn't work out."

"Why not?" I asked, getting side-tracked.

"Because I have a disease called polycystic ovarian syndrome," she said softly. "It's not dangerous, really, but it can cause infertility. We could've went through all sorts of procedures to get pregnant, but we decided that it wasn't worth it when there were so many children in need of a good home."

"Oh."

"Carlisle and I put our names in as foster parents and we had two older teens stay with us for a few weeks before Edward came. Edward came to us and stayed for a year before we adopted him and made him our own."

I thought Esme and Carlisle were incredibly generous to open their home to other people's children when they needed it.

"Rosalie and Jasper came to us later on and then Emmett and Alice," she said, repeating facts that I already knew. "Then you."

"Yeah," I said, shrugging.

"I think we're done with children now," she said gently. "Soon, the others will be moving on and Carlisle and I are happy with the six of you."

I blushed.

"Anyways," she said, returning to the story she'd been telling me before. "After Edward came to us, Alec and Jane came around less and less."

I didn't like the sound of that, and I frowned.

"I don't know exactly what went on between them," she said, "but I gathered that they argued. I always knew Jane could be a jealous person, but I never imagined she'd be jealous of _me._I grew angry with Alec for avoiding us. Edward was ten, Alice and Jasper were twelve, Rosalie was thirteen and Emmett was fourteen when we had our big blow up. Alec and I stopped speaking and neither of us has seen the other since 2003."

I stared at her, trying to wrap my head around the family drama.

"Jane's never been very fond of me," said Esme gently. "She can be difficult and stubborn, and I _know_ she's upset that Alec decided to come down here."

"Why?" I asked, confused. How could anyone hate Esme?

"Because she likes to have things her own way," said Esme softly, no judgment in her voice. "She likes her own surroundings and her own home where she can control what goes on, and she knows she can't always get her own way here."

"She doesn't like me," I said sadly, glancing up at Esme. Esme looked sympathetic, but didn't contradict me.

"She's not fond of any of my children," said Esme easily. "She's jealous."

"Of me?"

"Of anyone Alec shows affection to," she said. "She saw how gentle and kind he was to you and she took it as a personal slight."

"She called us castaway kids," I said angrily, looking up at Esme with bright eyes.

"Alec's very unhappy with her for it," said Esme. "I could tell at dinner. She had no right to call you that."

She was kind of right though…

"You are _nobody's_castaway," she said sternly, using her special Esme-mind-reading skills.

Esme knew everything.

"It's not blood that makes a family, Bella. It's the love."

I sighed and hugged her, resting my cheek on her shoulder.

"Love you," I said gently.

"I love you too, sweetheart," she said. "Do you have any more questions before we go to the sitting room?"

"Why'd Alec listen to Jane?" I asked sadly.

"Because I was foolish, Bella," said a voice from the doorway, making me turn. Uncle Alec stood there, looking quite tired and unhappy.

I flushed bright red and let Esme go, not knowing what to say.

"Relax," he said easily. "You can ask questions. I won't be mad."

"Okay."

"Thank you for inviting us here, Es," said Alec softly. "I know it was a big step for us."

Esme simply stood up and took her brother's hand, squeezing softly.

I really hoped Emmett and I would never fight like Esme and Alec had.

I loved my brother too much.

"I'm sorry," said Alec softly, watching Esme very closely. I felt as if I were intruding on a private moment, and as gently as I could, I slinked away, leaving the two of them to their words.

When I found the sitting room, people were engaged in gentle conversation.

I sought out my brother, finding him on the end of the sofa, but was dismayed to find that little Jane was on the opposite end of the sofa, looking down at her fingernails.

I braved her anyways, stepping over a groggy Jake and getting ready to snuggle up to my brother.

"...it was so cool!" said Emmett loudly, having yet to notice me sitting. "And—hey Boo."

His dialogue with Marcus was cut off as I rested my head on his front, wrapping my arms around his middle and curling my feet up under me. Marcus, having noticed the troubled look on my face, frowned gently, looking between Emmett and myself.

He tactfully turned around and joined the conversation between Alice, Rosalie and Papi.

Jane was sneaking secret glances at Emmett and I, interest sparkling behind her icy blue eyes.

"What's up?" asked Emmett, returning the gentle squeeze. "Where's Esme?"

"In the kitchen with Uncle Alec," I said sadly. "I asked her why they fought."

Jane, having been facing forward, whipped her head around to me with hardened eyes.

"Did she tell you?" asked Emmett gently.

"Yeah."

Jane huffed angrily, looking very on edge. She glanced towards the kitchen where Esme and Alec could be seen together, each with a glass of wine, and like Esme had said, I could see Jane's jealousy.

I didn't like Jane Evenson one bit.

"What's wrong, Boo?" he asked me softly, letting me stay where I was.

"Promise we'll never fight like that," I said shakily, not wanting to cry on Christmas.

"I promise, Bella," he said sincerely. "I love you."

Jane, the little witch, let out a small snort of derision, glancing over.

"Do you have something to say?" Emmett asked rudely, obviously loosing his cool with her.

Jane looked at Emmett, mock astonishment shining in her eyes.

"You'll see, kid," she said ominously, her voice venomous. "No woman's going to put up with a clingy little sister."

Emmett's face reddened with his anger and I frowned, scooting further away from my "aunt".

"Excuse me?" asked Rosalie suddenly, having heard Jane's comment.

"You heard me, sweetheart," said Jane sarcastically. "You'll get sick of her eventually."

"That's enough," said Marcus firmly, his voice ringing with authority. Carlisle, having been deep in conversation with Mr. Aro, broke away, glancing at Marcus.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, catching the look on Emmett's face.

"Peachy, Carlisle," said Jane angrily. "Just fine."

"Bella?"

I just hid my face into Emmett's side, praying that Rosalie's patience would endure…

…and that I wasn't being _clingy._

"What's going on?" asked Uncle Alec suddenly, having returned with Esme. I peeked up over the back of the sofa, seeing Alec's eyes glued on Jane.

"You're wife's being a bitch, that's what's going on," spat Rosalie, incensed.

What happened after that was out of my control.

"Rosalie!" gasped Esme, aghast and embarrassed as Alec's eyes shifted to Jane. Jane nearly leapt off of her seat, ready to face an angry Rose. Marcus looked uncomfortable and Carlisle was baffled.

"For shame! Control yourself!" cried Nona angrily, glancing between her granddaughter and Jane. "Sit down woman!"

Jane, not too keen on being called "woman", rounded on Nona.

That fired Papi right up and soon enough he was hollering, forcing Aro to intervene. Carlisle, looking gravely unhappy, glanced between the arguing group and a stricken, confused Alice and Jasper, whose eyes were bouncing back and forth like they were watching some sort of violent tennis game.

Emmett was on his feet soon enough as well, leaving me feeling very alone and very confused in the middle of the sofa. Jane and Rosalie shouted at one another, expletives flying and tempers flaring. Emmett, having noticed the animosity and potential for violence, placed himself discretely between the two warring women, lest Jane should try to hit Rosalie.

Emmett looked very angry as well, but was doing a good job of controlling himself.

"How dare you!"

"Shut up, you little bitch!"

"Fuck you!"

"Enough!"

"Good lord, Carlisle, control that woman!"

"Rosie, come on."

"Shut up Emmett!"

"I'm so sorry, Esme."

"Bella."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?"

"Get off of me, Alec!"

"For fuck's sake, Jane!"

"Bella!"

Hearing my name called twice grabbed my attention, and I knew the voice belonged to Jasper. I saw him at the other end of the sofa, holding out his hand to me. Eager to find a way out of this mess, I took his hand eagerly, finding comfort in the warm hand.

"Come on with me," he said softly. "Let's go."

Carlisle nodded approvingly at Jasper as he ushered me out of the room, the argument ensuing.

"On Christmas, Jane?"

"Come on, Bella," said Jasper again, moving slowly up the stairs with me. I was torn between listening to his wise words or rushing back towards the fight.

Jake, having been woken by the shouting, rushed up the stairs after us, his tail between his legs. Jasper held my hand firmly in his as he moved us to his bedroom and opened the door.

"Come and sit," he said softly. "I'll go grab your Ativan."

I hadn't noticed my panic, and only when I sat on his bed did I notice the shortness of breath and tummy butterflies. Although Jasper didn't often let Jake on his bed, when he climbed up next to me to curl up, I didn't bother to remove him.

He shook with fear as the shouting continued downstairs, and I couldn't help but hear them.

"Fuck you, _and_your sister, Alec!" shouted Jane angrily.

"Good god, woman, were you raised by wolves?" shouted Nona, obviously incensed and angry. "You heathen!"

Jane said something else, her voice a bit quieter and unintelligible from Jasper's room.

"Threaten my wife again, girl, and you'll regret it!" boomed Papi angrily. "I'll have you arrested!"

"Dad!" shouted Mr. Aro angrily.

I felt my chin quivering as I blocked my ears and pressed my face into Jasper's pillows. Jake, antsy by my own emotion, whined noisily.

I didn't even shush him as I shook in the bed, determined to block out the noise.

"Rosalie, get upstairs!" shouted Carlisle suddenly.

"I want her gone!" shouted Rosalie wildly, her voice shrill. "She has no right to be in this house!"

"Upstairs!" said Carlisle again.

"I'm not kidding, dad!" she cried again, her voice much louder and closer. "Gone!"

"What is _wrong_ with you!" shouted Alec angrily, sounding on the verge of tears. "Are you insane?"

"Oh, don't expect me to love your bitch of a sister's castaway kids!" shouted Jane angrily. "I fucking _hate_kids!"

Those words broke the emotional dam in my brain, and just as the door opened, I burst into a flurry of tears. I cried loudly and heavily, letting my sobs sound through the room as I thought about Jane's mean words.

I wasn't crying because I was hurt… I was crying because she was _right._

Carlisle and Esme were the only ones that had _ever_ wanted me since my parents died.

"Oh Bella," said a female voice gently—Rosalie. "Don't let her get to you."

I just cried harder, embarrassed that Rosalie had found me in such a state.

"Come here," she said, her voice calm, but shaky. "Don't cry."

I clung to my puppy as Rosalie tried to coax me up into a sitting position, not wanting to let him go.

"I've got her Ativan right here," said Jasper suddenly, having returned from Carlisle's study.

"Come on and sit up, Bell," said Rosalie softly. "Please?"

I cried and cried, ignoring everything they asked of me.

"I'll fucking kill that bitch," snarled Rosalie angrily, her voice ringing out when I refused to move for another few moments.

"Please take an Ativan," said Jasper softly. "You'll feel better."

In a moment of physical weakness, Rosalie was able to pry me from Jake's side, sitting me up so Jasper could hand me my medicine.

I knew better than to resist, and I swallowed the pill easily once I was able to stop crying for a moment.

"Please don't cry," said Rosalie softly. "I'm sorry that went down like that."

I simply sniffled, trying my best to stop my weeping. Rosalie reached over, calm and cool like her little brother always was, and wrapped me up in a hug.

I couldn't help but love her, especially since she was being so patient with me.

"You know I love you, right?"

I just looked up at her, unhappy.

"I do," she assured me. "I'm nothing like that little bitch downstairs."

I felt my chin quivering again and my emotions ran rampant once more. Rosalie was patient and gentle as I cried myself dry, the awful noise coming from my mouth drowning out the intense shouting downstairs.

"I'm sorry I'm clingy!" I wailed, earning me an angry sigh.

"You're not clingy," she said patiently. "Jane has no idea what it means to have siblings."

I just cried, overwhelmed and unhappy.

"Jazz?" she said softly, speaking over my shoulder to address her brother. "Could you find dad?"

I heard Jasper's door open and close without much noise and before I could even register her words, I was weeping again.

"Shh," said Rosalie gently, running her hand through my hair.

I knew this little crying jag was no good for me, but for the life of me, I just couldn't stop.

The shouting downstairs was still ongoing, and it wasn't helping matters much. I was glad to have Rosalie so close and so steady, and I was more than glad she didn't think I was clingy.

Jake whined, and for once, Rosalie didn't protest when he snuggled in close to her. I felt his cold, wet nose nudging under my arm, bumping it up to wedge his head under. His hot breath fanned my face and I wrapped my hand around his fur, holding it close.

I tried as best I could to control myself, but even after the Ativan started to take hold, I could do very little to help myself.

"What's the problem?" asked a voice from the doorway, spooking me more than I already was.

Rosalie had asked for Carlisle, not Mr. Aro Carlisle's _dad_.

"Where's dad?" asked Rosalie nervously, keeping a good hold on me. "I don't think this is healthy."

"He stepped outside for a moment," said Aro softly. "Why are you crying, _dolcezza?"_

Again with that strange name that did nothing to calm my fears. Rosalie continued her hair-smoothing—something I assumed was supposed to be calming—and before long, I felt a strange hand on my back as well.

"You're very tense," noted Aro gently, sitting on the bed next to us. The weight of him made the mattress sink, and I held onto Rosalie tighter to keep from sliding.

"That woman is positively insufferable," he said easily. "I couldn't stand her from the moment she set foot in this house, and tonight just added fuel to the fire. Please don't cry over her."

I couldn't obey, far beyond reason. I was going to cry, and I knew from experience that trying _not_ to cry just made things much worse.

"Go find her some pyjamas, Rose," said Mr. Aro softly. "Let's see what I can do, hm?"

To my complete horror, Rosalie let me go and I had no choice but to fall into the arms of Carlisle's dad.

Jasper watched from his place against the wall, looking grave and serious. Rosalie snuck out of the room quietly, no doubt moving to my room upstairs to find me some comfy clothes.

"There now," said Mr. Aro softly, repeating the smoothing motion Rosalie had begun. "Let's try to relax."

Easier said than done.

"Your brother and father will be upstairs in a little while," said Mr. Aro gently. "Your mother and Uncle Alec are gone for a drive and Edward took Alice for a walk to calm down… they should all be in soon."

I felt myself growing weaker as I got more and more tired, my eyes reddening and swelling right up. Despite my misgivings about Aro's feelings towards me, I let myself lean into him, satisfied with the fact that he was being gentle and kind right now.

"I hope you know that your Nana and I love you very much, _Bella,"_ said Mr. Aro. "You're just as much a grandchild of ours as any of Carlisle's other children."

I was able to slow the tears, but was unable to completely calm myself.

"Take a deep breath now," he urged, his hold loosening a bit. I obeyed and he seemed appeased, gently feeling the pulse point at my wrist.

"There now," he said again. "There's a good girl… just relax."

I knew my pulse was fast and I knew he didn't like it.

"There's Rosalie," he said softly, glancing towards the door. I peeked up as well and caught sight of the angry, sullen Rosalie holding a pair of fuzzy, roomy pyjamas.

"Come and change," said Aro softly, handing me over to Rosalie once more. I felt my legs shake as I took her hand, letting Jake follow me into Jasper's bathroom.

I found my way into the comfy clothes after only a bit of trouble, dismayed to find that my scars were very visible.

Mr. Aro would see them and he'd be disgusted.

"Are you alright in there?" asked Rosalie softly. "Come on out, Bella."

I cracked the door open, tears oozing and my dirty clothes in hand.

Rose took my laundry in one hand and my hand in the other, leading me back into the main area of the bedroom. Aro was speaking quietly to Jasper and for the first time since he'd been here with us, I moved towards him without any fear or hesitance.

He looked incredibly pleased and I tried my best to stop my crying once and for all. Once again, I was pulled into a hug by Mr. Aro, who let me rest against his shoulder.

"Are you alright, _Tesoro?"_

"What's that mean?" I blurted thickly, curious.

"It's Italian for 'treasure'," he said softly.

"What about the other one?" I asked, feeling brave.

"Which one? _Dolcezza?"_

"Yeah, that one," I confirmed.

"It means 'sweetness'," he said gently. "Or 'sweetheart'."

I blushed and took another deep, shaky breath, determined to try and like Mr. Aro a little more.

"I'm sorry I'm crying," I said awkwardly, unable to find the words I wanted to use.

"You never need to apologize for your feelings, Bella," he said softly.

We were quiet for a long moment, and I was absolutely disgusted when Mr. Aro's finger traced one of the scars on my lower back. I gasped sharply and wiggled from his grip, shoving my shirt down as far as it would go to prevent him from seeing.

Of course, pulling the shirt lower only made the central line scars visible… there was no way I could win.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, looking ashamed. "I shouldn't be looking."

"They're ugly," I blurted shakily, dangerously close to tears again.

"That's not why I was looking," he said softly. "I'm sorry they're even _there."_

I took another deep, sniffly breath, glad to finally be feeling the effects of the Ativan.

"Those scars are a part of you, _Tesoro._They don't define you."

"They're ugly," I repeated softly, shrugging.

Ugly was ugly.

"_You're_not ugly," he returned gently, once again reaching out a hand.

He was very touchy tonight, I noticed, and I wondered what had brought on the sudden change in him.

"They're from the Doctor in the Institute," I said bravely, the once familiar words foreign on my tongue.

Mr. Aro just nodded, looking like he understood without much of an explanation.

"Let me take your pulse again," he said softly, holding out his hand. "I might not be as proficient as my son, but I'll do for now."

I handed over my wrist, letting him place his two fingers under my thumb to find the thrumming pulse. I had to scoot forward a little to give him a good grip, once again putting myself into his personal space.

Jasper's bed was all mussed up now too, and I felt my cheeks reddening.

"Seems alright," said Aro softly, letting go of my arm and peeling his eyes away from his watch. "Do you feel okay?"

"I don't know," I said tiredly, trying to assess my "feelings".

Carmen was going to have a field day with this, I knew that much. My eyes were heavy and tired now that the time and all the crying caught up with me, and I wanted nothing more than to find my brother and make sure he wasn't mad at me for causing a big fight.

Alice, I knew, wouldn't be even a little mad at me… she loved me too much. Emmett, however, was more than capable of being surly with me.

"Is Emmett mad at me?" I asked worriedly, looking up at the three occupants that shared the room with me. Sensing I was about to break down into tears once more, Mr. Aro was quick to respond.

"Not at all," he said, drawing me closer once again. "Just relax and don't worry about it."

I rested my warm cheek on his shoulder, finding comfort in the Carlisle-like familiarity.

I could definitely see Carlisle in his father when he was being so kind and gentle. I felt his hand rubbing firm, gentle circles on my back, helping to lull me to sleep.

I knew I was bound to be heavy, but Mr. Aro held up my weight without so much as a blink, letting me rest right on top of him.

"Close your eyes, sweetheart," he said gently. "Go to sleep."

I was very tempted, but I disobeyed him and simply closed my eyes, refusing to fall asleep.

He continued his back rub and I kept my eyes closed, letting him believe I was sound asleep.

I was surprised when he didn't put me down on the pillows when he thought I was sleeping, but rather continued his gentle back rub.

Rosalie and Jasper conversed quietly for a few minutes before I heard a gentle knock on the door, right before it opened up.

"Hey Pop," said Emmett sadly, sounding tired and put out. "How is she?"

"Sleeping, I think," said Mr. Aro softly. "She's worn out."

"Yeah, well I don't blame her," said Emmett gently. "Is she alright?"

"I think so."

"Good."

"What's going on now?" asked Aro gently. "Is that woman gone?"

"We're not sure," said Emmett sadly. "She took off on foot."

"Hm," said Aro disapprovingly, sounding ready to rant.

"Uncle Alec's upset, obviously," he said tiredly. "He's trying to calm mom down. Dad's on his way up to check on her and Rose."

"Everyone's alright here, I think," said Aro gently. "She's much calmer."

I knew Emmett's hand when I felt it on my forehead, no doubt checking my temperature.

"Hey dad," said Carlisle's voice suddenly, having entered as well. "Thanks for… well, you know."

"You know as well as I do, son—it was no trouble," said Aro. "I'm just glad to be of help."

Carlisle's fingers—cold fingers, at that—felt around my neck for my pulse, his mind no doubt glued on my heart and all the terrible things stress could do to it.

"Bella?"

I shifted slightly and cracked an eye open, keeping my cheek on his father's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Tired?"

I simply nodded, refusing to speak as I sniffled again. Carlisle looked troubled and tired as he sighed, glancing up at the rest.

"And you, Rosalie?" he asked gently. "Calmed down?"

"I suppose so," she said stiffly, still sounding angry. "That woman had no right to say what she did."

"I know, Rose," said Carlisle. "She's gone for now."

"She'll come crawling back," said Rosalie nastily. "It's fucking cold outside and that little twig won't last too long out in the snow. Temperamental Florida gator, that one."

Carlisle shook his head and stifled a smile, returning his attention to me.

"Thank you for bringing her upstairs, Jasper," he said gently. "It was quick thinking on your part."

Jasper didn't respond, but I knew he was in the room and listening closely.

"Are you ready to come to bed, Bella?" asked Carlisle softly. "You're falling asleep."

The idea of being alone in my bedroom with no one but my puppy to snuggle made me very nervous, and to everyone's shock, I held onto Carlisle's father even tighter.

"No?" asked Carlisle softly, nonjudgmental.

"Will you come with me, Boo?" asked Emmett suddenly, sounding scratchy and tired.

I wheeled my head around and looked over at him, nodding quickly.

I was very tired and very unhappy, and I was more than glad Emmett wasn't angry with me and would let me spend the night with him.

"Come here, then," he said heavily, his large paw of a hand sliding under my arm. I felt him lifting me from Aro's shoulder, drawing me groggily to my feet.

"Let's go to sleep," said Emmett coaxingly. "You're falling asleep right here."

I felt very slow and stupid as I moved towards the door, stopping only to thank everyone for their kindness.

"You're welcome, Bella," said Mr. Aro softly. "You have a good sleep."

"Bye Bell," said Rosalie gently.

Jasper simply smiled and watched me leave, Jake and Carlisle hot on mine and Emmett's trail.

"Be sure to sleep in tomorrow, Bella," he warned. "You need your rest."

"Okay."

"Don't worry about anything right now," he added softly. "We'll get this mess sorted out."

I trusted him and knew instinctively that he was right.

"Goodnight," I said in a small, raspy voice. "Tell Esme goodnight too, please. And everyone else."

"I will," said Carlisle gently. "Goodnight."

"G'night, dad," said Emmett softly, ushering me into his bedroom. He closed the door once Jake was inside, moving me towards the bed.

Jake, tired and groggy, laid down right on Emmett's pile of dirty laundry, making that his bed for the night.

It felt like a dream as Emmett moved around his room, sneaking glances at me every so often as he prepared his room for sleep. He only left me to put on his pyjama bottoms in the bathroom, and that took him all of two seconds.

"Come here, Bell," he said tiredly, slipping under his covers. He left me half of the bed—the wall half—and I snuck right in next to him.

"I'm sorry I made you promise," I said tiredly, knowing very well what had sparked this whole debacle.

"It's _not_your fault," he said sternly, looking very angry again. "I _still_promise that we'll never fight like Esme and Alec did. I can also promise you that the woman I marry is going to be Rose, and you know that she'd never treat you like Jane treats mom."

"You want to marry Rosalie?" I asked.

He just laughed at me and pulled the sheets up around my chin.

"You're too tired for talk," he said softly. "Go to sleep. I love you."

"Love you too," I replied. "Let's sleep in tomorrow."

"You're the boss," he laughed happily.

I just smiled, snuggling as close as the warm bed would allow.

My heavy eyelids fell shut almost instantaneously, dragging me down to the realm of dreams.

**A/N: Guess again, if you want to. No one's been right so far (see the top A/N for more information).**

**As some of you might know, I'm currently taking the time to edit my older stories and get them back up and running. I've started on Fade to Grey, and am currently 6 chapters in.**

**There's also a new poll on my profile, asking all of you which story you'd like me to post next. As of right now, six people have voted, but I've recently added another option. I've been considering (given the popularity of this story) writing a sort of prequel. This would deal with the death of Charlie and Renee, Bella's time at the group home and her time at the institute. It would alternate Bella's experiences with those of Alice and Emmett over the ten-year separation period.**

**This story would delve much further into Bella's experiences as a child, as well as all the little "hinted-at" moments we never got to see (R/Em and J/A development, for example).**

**Please head on over and vote for your preference! (you can let me know in a review as well, but keep in mind that if your vote isn't registered on the poll, it will probably end up being forgotten when it comes time to tally).**


	50. Chapter 49

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 49**

**A/N: Enjoy!**

BPOV

The light was very bright behind my closed eyelids, and even before my eyes opened, I could feel my pulsing headache raging. My nose was stuffed up, my cheeks felt flushed, my eyes were caked shut and I was sore.

I huddled further under the covers, pressing my face into my pillow.

…_my _pillow?

The fabric felt foreign against my cheek and as I moved my feet to my right, I felt a cold wall.

_Definitely not my bed._

As that thought wheeled its way through my head, the events of the night before came flying back at me.

Christmas.  
Esme.  
Dinner.  
Alec.  
Fighting.  
_Jane._

I wanted to fall back asleep.

"Bella?"

Of _course _Emmett would've noticed me stirring.

"Hm."

"I have your medicine here," he said softly. "We'd like you to come downstairs."

"I don't want to," I grumbled, my voice hoarse and scratchy.

I heard Emmett's deep sigh and the gentle noise the little pill container made on the bedside table before his footsteps retreated, leaving me to my business.

I knew he didn't mind that I was invading his bed. My eyes stayed closed and I refused to move, listening to the very faint noises from downstairs.

Talking, clinking glasses, more talking.

No yelling.

Footsteps.

"Bella?"

The mattress dipped down on Emmett's side of the bed, and I felt a small, thin body slide in next to me.

"I know you're awake," said Alice softly, her hand touching my hair.

I continued to ignore her, feigning sleep.

My face was pressed into the pillow.

"Come on, Bella."

I sighed, glancing over at her tiredly.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently, her warm eyes fixed on me.

"Mhm."

"Here," she said, reaching over to take the little cup of medication. I held it gingerly between my fingers, sitting myself up in the bed.

She gave me the water bottle as well, and I gulped them down.

"Come here," she said, urging me out of bed.

"Not now," I mumbled, turning back around to lay down.

"Jane's not here, if that's what you're worried about," she replied.

I frowned at the sound of her name, taking a deep breath.

"I'm just tired, Ali," I sighed.

"I know, Bell, but mom and dad want to talk."

Well I _didn't._

"Fine."

She waited for me, her hair tousled and still clad in her pyjamas.

"What time is it?" I asked, taking another swig of water.

"Nine thirty," she said softly.

"Oh."

I forced myself out of the comfy bed and moved towards Emmett's bathroom, flicking on the light and taking a look at myself.

I flushed bright red when I saw what I looked like—red cheeks, squinty, bloodshot eyes and a bright red nose went along with my ratty hair.

"Alice, do you have a hairbrush?" I asked.

"Never mind your hair right now," she said softly, coming into the bathroom with me. "Just throw it up in an elastic."

I frowned but did as she said, tossing my hair back in a loose bun. I still looked terrible, but I knew Alice was getting impatient. She hugged me when I came out of the washroom and I squeezed her back, resting my forehead on her shoulder.

Without a word, she took my hand in hers and led me downstairs, where the family was congregated in the sitting room. Esme was the first one to reach us, snatching me out of Alice's grasp with firm, strong arms.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry," she said gently, taking my face in her hands. "That should have _never _happened the way it did—"

"It's fine," I said quickly, pulling back. "It's—"

"No it isn't," she insisted, pulling me back in for another embrace. "You shouldn't have been treated the way you were."

"I'm fine," I repeated again, not daring to confirm her suspicions that I'd let Jane upset me so much.

"Come and sit, sweetheart," she said. "We all need to have a talk, and then I'll start breakfast."

As Esme brought me over to a sofa, I took in the faces of everyone in the sitting room. Carlisle's family—Mr. Aro, Nana, Papi, Nona and Marcus—looked stoic and quiet, obviously more subdued than they'd been last night. Rosalie looked better too, sitting with her chin held high next to my tired, but not unhappy brother.

Carlisle was seated next to his grandmother, but his eyes were glued on me for signs of distress.

Uncle Alec, however, looked the worst—his head was downcast and his eyes glued to the carpet. He was leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, his hands cradling his head.

"No anxiety?" asked Carlisle softly, watching.

"No."

"Any chest pain?"

Uncle Alec sighed shakily, glancing up at me for the first time. He'd been crying, that much was certain.

"No."

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

"No."

"Tired?"

"A little."

He frowned, but fell silent, glancing over at Esme. Esme sat herself next to her brother and watched as he sat back up, glancing all around the sitting room.

"I just wanted to apologize for the events of last night," he said sadly. "My wife had no right to say what she did."

"Damn right, she didn't," said Emmett angrily, eying Alec with an air of discontent.

Alec simply watched my brother, not daring to contradict him.

"Where'd she go?" I asked, speaking up.

Would she be coming back?

"To a hotel in Port Angeles," said Alec softly. "She won't be coming back here."

"Oh."

"Are you sure we haven't caused you any distress?" he asked, watching me. "I don't want you getting sick because of—"

"I'm fine and I'm not sick," I said firmly, wishing people would believe me. "Just tired and a little cranky."

Carlisle grinned at my admission.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Carlisle gently.

"I guess so," I shrugged.

"Can I speak with you later?" asked Uncle Alec. "Alone?"

I hesitate at the sound of 'alone', but nodded anyways.

"Thank you."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Esme spoke up once again, taking Alec's hand.

"What would everyone like for breakfast?"

ooOoo

It was eleven o' clock before Uncle Alec could get me alone, and the two of us decided to speak in the kitchen, where I was cutting cheese for our lunchtime sandwiches.

"There's something you need to know, Bella," said Uncle Alec softly, urging me to put my cheese knife down. "Come sit."

I did as he asked, perching myself on a stool.

"I'm so sorry for what went on last night," he said gently. "I know I'm new to you and so was my wife, and I just want you to know that none of what she said reflects my own opinion."

"Oh."

"I don't think you're anyone's _castaway," _he said with a grimace. "Quite the contrary, in fact."

I stared, waiting for elaboration.

"Jane never wanted children Bella… it was a point of heated debate in our relationship. I've _always _wanted children."

"Why didn't she?"

"She's not exactly the mothering type."

I grimaced, resting my cheek on the cold granite.

"Esme and I grew up together—we were the only children in our house. I wanted a big family from the time I was little. When Esme and Carlisle got Edward, it only made me want kids even more. Jane and I fought about it for a long time, and eventually, she grew jealous of my love for my sister and her family.

"Jane went ahead and had her tubes tied behind my back, so we could _never _have kids," he added bitterly. "After Esme and I had our falling out, I think my wife thought we were done for good. It was foolish of me to leave my sister alone for as long as I did… this little reunion was the last straw for Jane. She saw me with you and then she saw you with your brother and she just lost it, Bella."

"I'm not _clingy," _I said suddenly, turning to him. "She said I was and I'm_ not."_

"No, you're not," he agreed. "Neither is Esme."

"I know."

"Are you angry with me?" he asked softly. "I'd understand, if you were."

"No," I said, honestly surprised. _"You_ didn't say anything mean."

"I brought her here," he reminded me. "I knew she wouldn't just sit back and take everything in stride."

"You _knew _she'd do that?" I demanded, betrayed.

"Not that she'd do what she did," he corrected quickly. "I kind of figured she'd be a problem, though."

I stared at him—at the eyes that were so like Esme's—and couldn't find it in me to hate him for what Jane had done.

"What are you going to do with her now?" I asked tactlessly, earning me a surprised glance.

"What do you mean, _do _with her?"

"Is she staying here or going home?" I asked. "What about when you get home? Are you going to fight about it again?"

Alec stared at me and sighed, reaching out to take my hand.

"She's not staying in town much longer," he admitted. "I bought her a plane ticket back to Jacksonville last night. As for what happens next, I'm not quite sure."

"Are you going to keep being her husband?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"Oh."

"We have a lot to talk about when we get back to Florida, Bella," he clarified. "I'm sure there'll be tears and yelling, but not even _I _can guess the end result right now. It all depends on how she reacts."

"Reacts?"

"When I tell her how it is," he said simply. "I have a sister and my sister has a family—_my _family—and we're a packaged deal. If she can't accept that, then we'll have to go our separate ways."

"Where will you go?" I wondered.

"Too soon to know, honey."

I simply watched him with careful eyes, stretching my arms out in front of me.

"How long are you staying here for?" I asked.

"Until the eighth, as we planned," he said easily.

I was glad Uncle Alec was choosing Esme this time.

There was an awkward silence before Esme poked her head into the kitchen, her eyes wide and careful.

"Everything alright in here?" she asked, looking between the two of us.

"Everything's fine, Esme," said Alec, smiling gently. "Bella's not angry with me."

"Oh, I told you so," she said triumphantly. "Are either of you hungry yet?"

"Not me," said Alec gently. "I've got to talk with my nephew before I eat."

Esme's face darkened slightly as she glanced back, looking at Emmett on the sofa.

"I'm sure he'll be alright soon enough," soothed Esme. "He's just temperamental."

"He's angry with me," said Alec pointedly. "He has every right to be."

Esme didn't answer to that.

"He's just protective," said Esme finally, sighing as she took up my cheese and knife, cutting slices. "He's dealt with a lot over the past while."

I flushed bright red, knowing that Emmett's 'dealings' were my fault.

"Come here, Bella," said Emmett suddenly, catching my eye. I glanced back at Uncle Alec, making sure he was finished with me before I moved forwards, gently tip-toeing towards the sofa.

He drew me in next to him, resting his arm on my shoulders as Nona watched us carefully, trying to be sneaky.

"You're alright?" asked Emmett softly, speaking too low for any eavesdroppers to overhear.

"Mhm."

"What did Alec have to say?"

"That he was sorry for what Jane said last night," I replied. "I think he wants to talk to you too."

He harrumphed unhappily, earning him a stern stare.

"Be nice," I ordered. _"He_ didn't do anything."

"He brought that twit here," he retorted. "He _knew _she'd cause shit."

"He didn't have much of a choice, Em," I reasoned. "She's his wife."

The words were bitter in my mouth.

"Wife or not, he needs to grow a fucking backbone."

I glowered at him unhappily.

"Don't be mean," I chastised. "He's being kind."

Emmett kept quiet, simply taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"You slept well?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah," I said again. "Thanks for letting me stay with you."

"Anytime, Bell," he said, his voice exuding honesty. "I like having you close by."

"I hog the covers," I reminded him.

He just smiled, readjusting the both of us. Rosalie, having noticed our little talk, came and plopped herself down on the other sofa cushion. To my shock, I felt her jerk me away from my brother, staring, unfazed, when he gave her an unhappy glance.

"I'm sorry for losing my temper yesterday," she said gently. "I was angry, and a bit irrational."

"I'm not," I said honestly. "I'm kind of glad you put her in her place."

Rosalie just grinned, no more muttered apologies coming from her.

I knew she wasn't _really _sorry for what she'd said yesterday.

Only that she thought she'd upset me.

"You know I love you, right?" she asked again, her voice idle.

"Love you too," I said.

"You know I won't ever grow tired of you?"

"I know."

"You know that Jane's a lying little bitch?"

"Rose!"

"What?" she asked, her eyes glinting. "We're all thinking it, I'm just putting it out there."

I giggled, sitting back against the thick sofa cushion.

"Rosalie, you mind your tongue," said Nona sternly, eying Rose over the top of her glasses. "You're not a heathen, you're a young lady—act like one."

Rosalie had the decency to look properly chastised.

"Sorry Nona," she said easily. "I'm just defending Bella, that's all."

Nona tutted before she turned to Papi, who unlike Rose, didn't have the good grace to look offended. On the contrary— he was laughing.

"For Christ's sake, Greg!" snapped Nona angrily. "Don't encourage her! The girl has _got _to learn some propriety!"

"She's proper enough, Ally," he said jovially. "She's got spunk."

Rosalie turned towards the warring grandparents, amused.

"Don't you _Ally _me," she warned. "It'll be a cold day in hell before I let any grandchild of mine get away with cursing."

"You cursed," Papi pointed out.

Nona's eyes flared and I could've sworn I heard her growl at him.

"Yes, and I'm about to do much worse than _curse_, Gregorio."

"Oh ho, so now I'm _Gregorio, _am I?" teased Papi.

I balked, shocked at his nerve. Nona looked positively lethal.

"Come now, _papa,"_ said Aro suddenly, turning to his father. "Don't goad her."

Papi Greg just laughed and Nona's temper reared once more, turning to her son.

"You keep out of this, boy," she snapped. Aro rolled his eyes and returned to his newspaper, looking bothered.

Carlisle watched with great amusement as Nona's rolled magazine made contact with Papi's head.

I jumped in surprise.

Papi laughed heartily once more, dodging the next blow.

"Come on, Allegra," he goaded. "You can do much better than that."

_Smack!_

"Ouch woman!" he complained, holding the back of his head. "I didn't mean _that_ kind of better!"

"You mind your tongue too, then," she snarked. "I only give what you've asked for."

Papi, subdued, just grumbled, turning his attention elsewhere.

"See how she treats me?" he said suddenly, looking at me. "Positively medieval!"

"Greg," warned Nona again, not bothering to look away from her magazine.

Papi just grinned behind her back and winked at me, earning him a smile.

Those two were my favorites, I decided.

The seat cushion next to me sunk down and only then did I notice Emmett was gone. Esme, having taken his place, gave me a gentle, reassuring smile, letting me know that Uncle Alec and Emmett had gotten down to talking.

"I'm sure he's not _really_ angry," said Esme gently, speaking only to me. "He's just upset, is all."

"I know," I sighed, having recognized the trademark tension that overcame my brother when he was angry.

"It means a lot to me that you can forgive him," said Esme softly. "I've been waiting a long time to introduce you to my brother."

I blushed and examined my fingernails, uncomfortable with the intimacy of the conversation.

Esme, catching on, simply ran her hand down the back of my head, smoothing my fly-away hairs.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, Esme."

She pressed a kiss to the side of my head before leaning back, resting her hand on my leg. Jasper was watching the interaction from across the room, his attention divided between Alice and I. Alice, I suspected, was talking about her Christmas purchases, as she was so apt to do now that we'd all opened them up and discovered what they were.

"…took me _forever_ to find it," said Alice, her voice wavering across the room. "You have no idea!"

"I'll bet it did," said Jasper gently, pacifying her.

"Are you even listening to me?" she asked, sounding irritated.

"Of course," he returned, feigning hurt. "It took you _forever_ to find that dress!" he mocked.

Alice huffed, falling silent and sitting back once she realized Jasper was mocking her. Jasper, looking sheepishly amused, snuck more than one glance at her and her newly developed sour mood.

"Go play a video game or something," she said sullenly. "You're obviously not interested in what I'm talking about."

Jasper wisely kept quiet and kept his rear in his seat, knowing that obeying that command would only make her angrier. I tuned out of their conversation and returned to Esme.

"When do I start school?" I asked.

"When our guests have returned home and when the others are back in class," she said. "The fewer distractions, the better."

"What will I learn?"

"Math, English, history, science, maybe some art," she said. "Whatever's mandatory and some of the things you _want _to learn."

"I want to write," I informed her easily.

"You'll learn," she said. "You have some of the basics already, so really, it's all about honing the skills you already have."

"Yeah."

"Do you want to stay here or would you like to come back to the kitchen with me and help me finish lunch?" she asked.

"I'll help."

With a quick goodbye to Rosalie, Nona and Papi and a glance over at the newly-happy Alice and a bored Jasper, Esme and I moved into the kitchen, where Emmett and Alec were still talking. When we came inside, they stopped abruptly, both sets of eyes zeroed in on me.

I _knew _they were talking about me.

"Don't mind me," I said sarcastically.

Emmett looked properly bashful and Alec averted his gaze.

Esme wordlessly handed me some fresh bread to slice, knowing that my knife-wielding skills were improving every day.

"Sorry Bella," said Uncle Alec softly. "I don't mean to talk about you behind your back."

I ignored him, knowing very well that he'd _meant _to… why else would they have done it?

You couldn't _accidentally _talk about someone.

"All I said is that I don't like it when you're upset," said Emmett. "I don't like that Jane got you so riled up."

"Mhm."

Esme remained silent, letting us talk it out.

"It's bad for your heart," said Emmett bluntly.

"It's been three months," I reminded him. "I'm allowed to freak out every now and then."

"I know," he sighed. "It's still not ideal."

"Neither is caffeine, but you weren't whining about my hot chocolate yesterday."

"I just don't like it when you're upset, alright?" he snapped. "Is it so wrong of me to want you to be happy?"

I turned to him, knife still in hand.

"Not usually," I began, "but if you're taking it out on the wrong person, then yeah, it's a bad thing."

Emmett closed his eyes and pinched his nose—a very _Edward_ move—and faced Alec again.

"I've already said it, but for Bella's benefit, I'm sorry," he said. "It's not your fault your wife's a manipulative bitch."

"Emmett!" gasped Esme, wheeling around.

"No, Esme," said Alec tiredly. "He's right."

"That doesn't give him the right to say it," said Esme angrily. "You watch your mouth, young man."

Esme had her paring knife pointed at him.

Emmett, though I knew a rude retort was on the end of his tongue, kept his mouth shut and listened to his mother.

"Sorry about earlier," said Emmett gently, returning his attention to Uncle Alec.

"It's fine, Em," he said. "I'll deal with Jane when I get back to Jacksonville."

Emmett, appeased, left the conversation there and turned his attention to me.

"Are _you _mad at me now?" he asked quietly, taking in my tense posture and pointed, feigned ignorance.

"No," I said, my voice clipped.

"You're a horrible liar," he said gently. "Whatever I did to make you mad, I'm sorry."

I turned back to him, observing quietly. When he kept quiet as well, I nodded an acceptance and turned back to the bread, making the final slice.

Uncle Alec returned to the living room, leaving Esme, Emmett and I alone in the kitchen together.

"I'm just a worrywart, Bella," said Emmett gently, pulling up a stool on the opposite side of the island. I took the cucumber from Esme and began slicing that, having no choice but to face him.

"The very last thing I want is you getting sick again."

"I won't get sick again," I scoffed. "I'm fine now."

"I know you are," he said. "Doctor Denali has given you nothing but rave reviews."

"Then why are you so uptight about it?" I asked. "I'm going to get upset every once in a while… even Carmen says so."

"I don't have to like it, Boo," he said. "If it were up to me, _nothing _would ever upset you."

I stared at him for a moment, sighing.

"That's impossible, and you know it."

"Of course I do," he said, chuckling. "I'll try my best to make it happen, though."

I just rolled my eyes and continued chopping. Emmett laughed outright.

"It's my job, Bella," he said. "I get to be uptight and annoying… I'm your big brother."

Yeah, he most definitely _was._

**A/N: As of right now, there are 1809 reviews... only 191 more to reach my goal of 2000! **

**...and no more bitchy anonymous reviews about how I shouldn't ask for them. I _can_ ask and I _will._**

**Also, if you haven't already, check out the poll on my profile to vote for the story you'd like to see next (a Dark Waltz prequel is an option!)**


	51. Chapter 50

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 50**

**A/N: So many of you were a little miffed at the lack of Edward in the past few chapters, so here he is! Enjoy!**

BPOV

"Esme might say no."

"She won't say no."

"But she _might."_

"Then we'll ask dad."

"That's dishonest."

"She _won't_ say no, Bella."

"But what if—"

"Never mind 'what if'," said Edward softly. "Please?"

I hesitated, feeling my cheeks flame.

Could I really go on a _date_ with Edward?

"She'll be thrilled," he countered. "She knows we're _something _and she's happy about it. She won't say no, Bella. It's new year's eve."

"But—"

"No buts."

I fell silent, sighing heavily as I relinquished control of our conversation.

"Great," he said. "Dress comfortably and we'll leave in about an hour."

"What if she says no?" I asked again as Edward stood up, grinning crookedly.

"She _won't._ Trust me."

And with those final words, he was out the door.

"Alice!" I cried, butterflies erupting in my stomach at the thought of a first _date_ with Edward.

"Yeah?" called Alice, her voice echoing from someplace on the staircase.

"Come here!" I cried, jittery.

I had _no idea_ how to date!

"What?" she called, worried. "Are you okay?"

"Just come here, please!"

My sister rushed up the stairs and threw my door open, her eyes worried and confused.

"What is it?" she asked, rushing forth. "Are you sick?"

"I have a _date!" _I cried anxiously.

Alice blinked twice before the news set in, and she grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh that's _wonderful!"_ she cried. "You'll have so much fun! Where are you going? Do you know what to wear? Do you—"

"Alice!" I interrupted, glancing towards the door to make sure we had no eavesdroppers. "I don't know how to date!"

"Oh Bella, it's easy," she dismissed. "He'll take you out and you'll do whatever he has planned. Simple."

"What if I do it wrong?" I worried. "What if I don't like what we're doing?"

"You _will,"_ she assured.

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

"How?"

"It's Edward," she said simply. "He knows what you like."

_"I_ don't even know what I like!" I wailed, beyond nervous now.

"Relax, Bell," said Alice softly. "Do you need an Ativan?"

"No, I_ don't_ need an Ativan!" I whispered indignantly. "I need dating lessons!"

Alice just laughed at me and a twinge of irritation grew within me. If Alice wasn't going to help, then I'd have to go find Rosalie.

"There's no dating lessons, Bell," she said gently. "You'll learn on the job."

I sighed shakily, my foot bouncing.

"Don't be so nervous," she chided. "You'll do just fine. Did he tell you where you're going?"

"No."

"Did he tell you what to wear?"

"He said to dress comfortably."

"Will you be walking?"

"I don't know?" I said, my answer coming out as a question.

"I'll be right back," said Alice gently. "Don't worry about it. I'll get you all set up."

I stared at the doorway as my sister flounced out, more excited than she should be about my new date. She seemed almost giddy.

I wondered where she was going.

"_Bella?" asked Edward suddenly, approaching me in the kitchen. Emmett, startled, looked over at him and sat himself up a little more, trying to look scary._

"_Stop that," I scolded, earning me a grin from Uncle Alec. "Be nice."_

"_Can I talk to you?" asked Edward gently._

"_If you want to," I said, shrugging, returning to my cheese slicing._

"_I have a question for you, but please keep in mind that I won't be offended if you say no," he said, looking nervous. _

"_Okay…"_

"_New year's eve is coming up," he began, "and—"_

"_Oh, here we go," grumbled Emmett unhappily, his eyes bouncing between his brother and myself. _

"_Would you stop it?" I said, finally losing my patience. "Be quiet or go sit someplace else."_

_Emmett fell silent, looking both chastised and proud of my newfound sassiness._

"_New year's eve is coming up," said Edward again, "and I was wondering whether you'd like to come to Port Angeles with me that night."_

"_Alright," I said easily, knowing very well that Port Angeles was interesting._

"_Great," said Edward, relieved. "I'll fill you in a little more before we go."_

"_Okay."_

_Edward grinned at me and I knew I'd have gotten a kiss if my brother wasn't sulking at the island. He stood there for a moment longer before he nodded and backed out, leaving me alone with my uncle and brother once more._

"_How serious are things between you two?" asked Emmett suddenly._

"_What?"_

"_Well, you're obviously dating," he said, scowling. "Are you two—"_

"_We're not dating!" I yelped, astonished._

_Dating was what Emmett and Rosalie did. Alice and Jasper dated. Carlisle and Esme had dated before they were married._

_Edward and I weren't _dating. _We just… kissed._

"_He just asked you out on a date, Bella," said Emmett pointedly. "That's what I'd call dating."_

_I felt my cheeks flame and I glanced up at my brother, shocked._

"_I don't know how to date," I said dismissively. "We're just going out to Port Angeles."_

"_On a date," he said again, his face serious. "Just… be careful, alright?"_

"_Okay."_

_Be careful about what? _

"Oh, Bella, you're going to have so much fun!" said Alice suddenly, breaking me from my reverie. "I know exactly what you should wear."

I watched her closely, taking mental notes as she filtered through my closet, extracting jeans and a button up top.

"Here, put these on," she said, closing my door. "I won't look."

I hesitated for only a moment before I stripped off my sweater and pyjama bottoms, clambering into the pants and top. I made sure the buttons lined up properly before I let Alice turn around, beaming.

"Perfect," she said, stepping forward to adjust the bottom of the shirt. "I'd try to get you into heels, but something tells me you'll fight."

"I _will_ fight," I said determinedly. "I _hate _heels."

"Yes, and I have no idea why," complained Alice. "They're absolutely gorgeous on you."

I didn't answer her, ending the conversation before she could try and convince me otherwise.

"Why are you so jittery?" she asked, having held back her curiosity for long enough.

"I'm not jittery."

"Yes you are," she said, "and you're a bad liar."

"I don't want to mess it up," I grumbled. "I'm not _good_ at dating."

"You've never tried it."

"Exactly!"

"Bell," said Alice gently, sitting with me on my bed. "You have nothing to worry about. You and Edward are already way ahead of your first date."

I stared at her, not understanding.

"You've already met his parents, you know what kind of car he drives, your father has no issues with him, you know his siblings, where he lives, you've kissed," she said. "Most of that happens on, if not after, the first date."

"So I've already screwed it up?" I cried, dismayed.

"No!"

"Well then, what would you call it?"

"Going at your own pace," she said, pulling me in for a hug. "Your situation's a lot like mine and Jasper's."

I sighed and laid back on my bed, closing my eyes.

"You're sure I'm not messing things up?"

"Absolutely not," she said. "If anything were wrong, Edward would talk to you about it."

I let her words sink in, trying to calm myself down.

It was just Edward.

"Come on," said Alice. "We only have forty five minutes to get your makeup on."

ooOoo

"I hope you like this place," said Edward. "Emmett mentioned you did."

"You talked to Emmett about this?" I asked, amazed. Edward held the door of _La Bella Italia _open for me as I spoke.

"Yeah, I did," he said gently. "I didn't want there to be any hard feelings, you know?"

"Right."

"Reservation under Cullen," said Edward, approaching the man at the podium.

The smell and the pictures were the same as I remembered, and I was very fond of the familiarity.

"Right this way," said the server—Fred, his nametag said—leading us towards the back of the restaurant. We had a little two-person table in the corner of the room, and Edward was kind enough to let me sit against the wall so no one could sneak up behind me.

The last place I wanted to panic was in the restaurant on my first date with Edward.

"Can I start you off with drinks?" asked a new server, his notebook in hand. He laid menus before Edward and myself as he spoke.

"Coke for me," said Edward. "Bella?"

"Iced tea, please."

"Alright. I'll take orders for appetizers when I come back."

"Thanks," said Edward, his eyes never leaving me or his menu.

I opened it, and was glad to find that I could decipher many more words than the last time I'd been here.

"I'm not sure what you'd like," said Edward.

"I had mushroom ravioli last time," I recalled. "I think I want to try something new."

"Spaghetti and meatballs for me," said Edward easily. "Are you wanting an appetizer?"

"I don't know," I admitted.

"I think we'll be alright with entrees," he said. "We're going to have theater treats too."

"Okay."

I examined the menu for a little while longer, finally settling on cheese cappelletti.

When the server returned with drinks, Edward and I denied any appetizers and went right into our entrees. The server placed a basket of fresh, complementary bread on the table and we both munched, neither of us saying much.

"Alice says we're ahead of the first date," I informed him, seeing his smirk.

"Yeah, we are," he said. "It's a good thing."

"It is?"

"It means we don't have any of those awkward questions and I won't have to ask if I'm _allowed _to kiss you at the end of the night."

"And I know you'll call," I teased, making him laugh.

"That too," he said. "We already know that this date will go wonderfully and that we're compatible."

I blushed and returned to my bread, picking at the crust.

"I like our version of first date," I said quickly, chancing a glance at him.

The wide, crooked grin spread across his face was more than I needed to reassure me that he liked it too.

ooOoo

"I thought he was rather good," said Edward indignantly.

"He was not!"

"Was too!" he replied. "There was nothing wrong with his acting."

I scoffed, letting him take my gloved hand in his own. He held my leftover popcorn in his other hand as we walked to the car.

"I don't think he's all that great," I repeated. "He's sort of… dull."

"Oh, Bella," said Edward, mockingly saddened. "You've got so much to learn."

"Not about that guy," I laughed. "He was terrible!"

He bristled once more, and I knew I was getting a rise out of him.

"Bella, _Titanic_ is the second highest grossing film of all time! I don't think James Cameron would've settled for Leonardo DiCaprio if he wasn't a good actor."

"Well, the girl wasn't all that fantastic either," I added, glancing sideways.

He gaped at me, more frustrated than ever.

"It's a wonderful film," he sniffed, handing me my popcorn as I sat in the passenger seat of his Volvo. "You need to see it again, I think."

"Oh the _movie_ was great," I agreed. "I just don't like either of the two main actors."

"You _cried_ when he died, and you know it, Missy," he laughed.

"Because it was _sad," _I scoffed. "Not because I like him."

"You loved it," he said confidently.

"Alright, Alice," I teased. "Of course I _loved _it."

Edward gave me the stink eye as he turned the key in the ignition, letting the car idle for a moment.

The clock on the dashboard read 11:51.

"Did you have fun, at least?"

"Of course I did," I said easily. "I love the theater."

Edward, looking pleased once more, drove the car out of the parking lot. To my surprise, however, he turned away from Forks and began driving towards the waterfront.

"Edward?"

"Just wait and see," he said excitedly, knowing my question before I could ask it.

I waited and watched, taking note of my surroundings… there seemed to be a lot of cars congregating at the waterfront, and my interest piqued. A section across the water was blocked off with reflective barricades, and I turned questioningly to Edward.

"They're for safety," he said. "Some people like to get closer to the action."

"What action?"

His mysterious smile returned, and I glanced around at the masses of people.

Old couples, young couples, small children, teenagers… _everyone_ seemed to be here.

"What's going on?" I asked again, not liking the suspense.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he teased.

I sighed, confused, and thrust my hands into my pockets to retrieve my gloves. It was cold outside, and I didn't want to be uncomfortable.

To my surprise, before I could acquire my mittens, Edward took my hands in his own and held them close, effectively shielding them from the late December wind.

Edward's watched beeped three times and he glanced down, smiling.

"Two minutes, Bella," he said happily. "It'll be noisy."

I frowned, glancing around anxiously.

"What'll be loud?"

He just laughed at me and pulled my whole body closer, wrapping both arms around my midriff. He turned us so that we were both facing the waterfront, my belly tight with anticipation.

I didn't like surprises, I decided.

"Ten!"

I jumped in surprise as the crowd began to count down, the voices echoing off the nearby buildings.

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"Get ready, Bella."

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

Edward turned me to face him.

"Two!"

"_One!"_

"Happy New Years!"

The crowd exclaimed gleefully and just as their words ended, a boom resonated through the air.

_Fireworks!_

The fireworks, however, were the last thing on my mind when I discovered the second ritual of New Years. As soon as the final words sounded, Edward's mouth was on mine, kissing me fiercely in front of all the people on the waterfront.

I was only mortified for a short moment before I realized that many other couples were kissing as well—most of them way more _passionate_ than we were.

The kiss lasted for a few more seconds before he broke it off, pulling me into a tight hug and turning his face to watch the sky.

His lips were right next to my ear, and I heard his whispered words as clear as day.

"I love you, Bella."

My head whipped around, taking my attention away from the beautiful colours exploding overhead to focus on him.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he said, his voice always gentle. My cheeks flamed and although I felt the colour creeping down my neck, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.

He _loved _me.

"Is that okay with you?" he asked nervously. "You don't have to say it back—"

"It's perfect," I said. "Absolutely perfect."

He beamed and neither of us let go, glancing up at the firework finale.

"They're prettier up close," I said softly.

"You've seen them before?" he asked, surprised.

"Once," I said. "A long time ago, but only through a window and they were very far away. They scared me then."

"Do they scare you now?"

"No," I laughed. "They're so pretty."

I was mesmerized, and I felt my blush return when he pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of my head.

"You're getting cold," he said gently as the noise of the fireworks died down and the mingled voices of the people returned, even louder than they'd been before.

"Only a little," I protested, earning me a stern glance as he brought me back into the Volvo. Upon starting it back up, he blasted the heat, letting me warm my chilled fingers.

The car was very quiet as he drove along the roads, definitely returning us home this time.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," I said honestly. "I had fun."

His smile was enough of a reply for me, though he voiced his thoughts anyways.

"I'm glad," he said. "Would you be willing to try it again sometime? Maybe do something a little different?"

"Yes!" I cried, excited.

He laughed at me again, and that stupid blush felt like it was going to reach all the way down to my toes.

I decided silence was best and Edward didn't seem to have a problem with it. We filled the void with Edward's CD—one of his piano discs.

"You play wonderfully," I noted happily, my ears very attuned to the sound of his music.

"Thank you."

The entire drive back to Forks, I felt giddy. Edward had his eyes glued to the road to avoid an accident, and I took advantage of his distractedness to sneak glances at him every few moments.

The little crease between his eyebrows amused me, and I found myself wanting to use my hand to smooth it over.

When the little town of Forks came into view, I once again found my voice.

"Edward?"

"Yes Bella?"

"I…" My voice seemed to fail me as my ruby red blush returned yet _again_, not knowing how to word myself.

"I think…"

"Yes?"

"You really love me?" I blurted, eying him carefully.

His cheeks tinged pink as well, and I would've laughed if I could be sure I wouldn't embarrass him.

"I do," he said confidently. "You're very special to me."

"Well, I think I love you too."

There. I'd said it.

The smile that came over his face was so radiant it could've melted every snowflake in all of Washington. He was just pulling into our driveway when he spoke again, his voice deep with emotion.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that."

I just looked away as our home came into view, the windows dark and sleepy but the porch light that Esme had turned on for us was still glowing.

**A/N: Anyone want to make a banner**** for this story? If you're interested, go ahead and give it a shot! If anyone makes one, send me the link and I'll post it on my profile page.**

**And don't forget to vote in my poll! Your opinions will be a deciding factor in what comes next!**


	52. Chapter 51

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 51**

**A/N: Well, we had our little fluff-fest last chapter, and now it's time to get back to the real story... remember, there is a "hurt/comfort" category label on here- and there is a lot of hurting and comforting in this story. Also, don't be too mad at Carlisle- I might write an outtake telling us why he's so un-Carlisle-like in this chapter.**

**He's only human, though, and can't be expected to be perfect all the time.**

BPOV

"We'll see you all this summer," said Nona softly, kissing my sister's cheek. Alice's arms tightened around her, her schoolbooks lying forgotten on the couch.

Emmett was next in line, and he grinned when Nona tugged him down by his shirtfront, bringing him to an appropriate height for hugging. My brother's arms nearly concealed _all _of Nona as he hugged her back, winking at me.

"Aw, come on, Nona," he said, pulling away from the teary eyed little lady. "Don't you go all soft on me now."

Nona's chin jutted out proudly as she took a step back, simply giving Emmett the stink-eye when he patted her on the head.

"Watch my hair, boy," she grumbled in warning. "I wont have you mussing it all up."

Today was the day that Nona, Papi, Nana, Mr. Aro and Uncle Alec were leaving to go back home. Carlisle, Emmett, Esme and I were accompanying them down to Seattle, where they'd catch their planes home, and afterwards, we were set to visit Doctor Denali for my checkup at his hospital. Today was also the day that Alice, Jasper and Edward were set to return to school after spending their few weeks at home with the family.

It was a little sad, watching everyone say goodbye, but I knew it wouldn't be for long.

"Come on, Bella," said Carlisle gently. "We've got to go or else we'll be late."

"Alright," I sighed, shooting a sad glance over at my brother.

Carlisle's family had an enormous amount of bags (not to mention the number of people), so we needed three cars and three drivers to help.

Emmett couldn't ride with me in Carlisle's Mercedes because he needed to drive Alice's yellow Porsche with Uncle Alec, Mr. Aro and Nana. Esme was taking Nona and Papi in her Audi, while Carlisle and I took most of the baggage.

I wished Emmett could be in my car. Carlisle was in a funny mood today, and I wasn't sure I liked it.

"Have fun at school," I said, trying to keep the envy from my voice. Edward simply kissed my hair and Alice beamed at me, nodding.

"Oh we will," she said, winking.

She knew how jealous I was of her, and she also knew that it wouldn't be long before Esme helped me with my own schooling.

We would've started today, but we had to drive to Seattle instead.

"Come on, Bella," said Carlisle, turning quickly to my sister. "Get to school, you guys."

The entire family shuffled out the door as quickly as they could, leaving Rosalie alone in the big white house. She watched and waved from the front window as our guests disappeared into their designated cars, leaving Alice, Edward and Jasper to pile into Edward's silver Volvo.

They drove off before everyone else, and before I could get too cold, Carlisle ushered me to the passenger seat of his car.

"Get in, Bella. We're going to be late." His tone was _not_ happy. I buckled up my belt as quickly as I could before Carlisle slid in next to me, starting the car with a simple flick of the wrist.

"We'll meet at the entrance," said Carlisle, rolling down his window to speak to Esme. "We'll make it if we leave now."

Before I could focus too much on what was going on, the two remaining cars started up and followed our black car from the driveway, rolling down the path.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes?"

"What time is my appointment at?"

"Three thirty," he said tersely. The clock read ten twenty five. "We have plenty of time for that, but the plane to Italy leaves at two, and it takes quite a while to get through international customs.

"I thought they had their own plane?" I asked.

"They do," he said. "It's called a charter flight. They still need to go through customs and security, though. Air travel need to be kept safe."

"Why?"

Carlisle didn't answer me, choosing instead to turn on the radio for background noise.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes?"

I stared at him, noting his tense posture and tight grip on the steering wheel.

"Are you angry?"

"What makes you think that?"

"You _look_ angry."

"I just wish we'd have left earlier."

"Oh."

"I'm alright, Bella," he said. "I just don't want to be late."

"What happens if they _are _late?"

"Then they'd need to stay in Seattle overnight and reschedule their takeoff time for tomorrow," he said. "My dad has some business to attend to in Italy, however, and must get back as soon as possible."

"What sort of business?"

"Family business."

"_Bad_ family business?" I queried.

Once again, Carlisle didn't answer.

"Are you looking forward to meeting with Doctor Denali again?" he asked.

"No."

Carlisle just smirked.

"He'll be quick and thorough," he assured me.

"He's _always _quick," I said. "It doesn't make me like it any better."

I'd seen Doctor Denali a grand total of eleven times since my transplant, and I wasn't liking him any more now than I had in September.

He liked to poke and prod at my scar, and he _always _took blood.

"We'll be in and out in less than twenty minutes, if all is well," he said.

"_Is _everything well?" I asked nervously.

"I'm sure it is," he said. "Don't worry about it."

Worrying would make my blood pressure go up.

"Carlisle?"

"_Yes_ Bella?" he asked, sounding slightly exasperated.

"What does Mr. Aro need to do in Italy?"

"Mr. Aro?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

I flushed pink, but waited for my answer in silence.

"My father has some business to attend to with his brother."

"Marcus?"

"Caius," he corrected. "He couldn't make it down for the holidays."

"Is he in some kind of trouble?" I asked.

"Of sorts," said Carlisle. "He's having some problems with his business, and he's asked my father for his expertise."

"Is Mr. Aro going to fix it?"

"I'm sure he'll try. Uncle Caius' company isn't doing as well as he'd like it to, and my dad is going to see if he can avoid being forced into a sale."

"Oh."

"We're not very close with Caius," he finished, "but family is family, I suppose."

There was a short, but very tense moment of silence.

"Why do you call him _Mr. Aro _and not _Pop_ like the other kids?" asked Carlisle, watching at me as he turned onto the freeway leading to Seattle.

"Because he's a mister, and his name is Aro," I returned easily.

His sharp, blue gaze was fixed on me for a moment before he returned his attention to the road, choosing his next words carefully.

"Are you afraid of him?" he asked.

"No."

"Did he ask you not to call him Pop?"

"No…"

"Did he ask you _to_ call him Pop?"

"No."

The soft music filled the silent gap between us and I focused my attention on the fibers of the floor mat.

"Bella, you know you're just as much a part of this family as any of the others, right?"

"Mhm." My face flushed beet red.

"My father's just as much your grandfather as he is Alice's or Emmett's."

I gazed up at him, my brow furrowed.

"I know."

"What do you call my mother?" he asked.

"Nana Dora," I said easily.

Carlisle watched me with an inscrutable gaze for a long moment before he was forced to refocus on the road, coming to a stop behind the long line of cars slugging along.

"Damn it!" he hissed angrily, eying the lineup.

I flinched back, never having heard Carlisle swear before. He scowled- reminding me wholly of Edward- and reached for his cell phone.

"Esme," he barked, unhappy. "Tell Papi to call for a hotel room. I don't think we're getting to Seattle in time to make it through security."

Esme's voice warbled back, indiscernible through the phone's distant speaker.

"I know," he said, exasperated. "We'll make it for her appointment."

The line trudged forward, letting Carlisle speed up to reach the back of the person in front of him.

"Just keep on my back," he said. "If we _do_ manage to get through, I don't want the luggage there without any passengers."

Esme's voice returned for a moment before Carlisle said goodbye and snapped the phone closed, setting it on the center console.

"According to Papi's cell, the news says there's been an accident," said Carlisle angrily. "They're clearing the road now, but the trickle of cars going through is slow."

I nodded, tense after hearing evidence of Carlisle's foul mood.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eyes flickering between me and the road.

"Are _you_ okay?" I returned, eying him carefully. He sighed heavily and pinched his nose—another Edward move—and turned to face me.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you edgy, Bella," he said gently. "I truly don't mean to."

I stared at him, dubious.

"Things with Caius are taking a toll on me, and I'm sorry I'm taking that out on you," he said. "I just wish he wouldn't leave _everything_ to the last minute!"

He was scowling again, and I saw him take a deep breath to clear his head.

"Take my mood with a grain of salt today, sweetheart," he said dismissively. "I don't mean to be harsh."

My eyes turned to face the front as my mind mulled over his words.

Grain of salt?

ooOoo

"There they go, Bella," said Esme gently, squeezing my shoulders.

Unable to help myself, I waved frantically in hopes that they might be able to see me through the glass window. Esme chuckled and kissed my cheek, letting me stay until the airplane was nothing more than a speck disappearing into the clouds.

We _had_ made it on time for the flight to Italy, despite the traffic jam that had made Carlisle so cranky in the car.

"Where's Uncle Alec's plane?" I asked.

"Long gone," said Emmett gently. "He took off over an hour ago."

I frowned, having wanted to watch that one go too.

"Come on," he laughed. "We'll go find a pretzel or something before your appointment."

Carlisle gave him an unhappy look, but after a stern glance from Esme, he chose to keep quiet.

His foul mood hadn't gone unnoticed by his wife, and she was none too pleased when the tense, uncharacteristically snappy Carlisle had emerged from the car, nearly tossing luggage out of the trunk and backseat.

She'd been even more displeased when she saw my sulky mood, knowing he'd been rubbing off on me.

He'd snapped at me twice on the drive down—once because I fiddled with the thermostat and the other because I'd cracked the window open.

I was _hot._

Esme, after hearing the tale, had pointedly and coldly told Carlisle to "mind his tone when he was around those who had nothing to do with his problems", but Carlisle was only marginally better than he'd been before her scolding.

He was _never _cranky, and the idea of him on edge made me jumpy.

"Try this, Bella," said Emmett enthusiastically, buying an airport pretzel from the man at the kiosk. He handed the entire thing to me and bought another one for himself, paying out of his pocket.

"You don't need to buy me things," I complained. "I don't _need _more things."

"You need to eat, grumpy," he teased. "Taste it."

I resented him calling me _grumpy,_ but knew that he was right and took a bite anyways.

It was positively _delicious._

"Told you," he said triumphantly. "Now come on. We've got to visit the doc."

I scowled and followed sullenly behind him, munching on my newfound favourite food. Carlisle's eyes spoke volumes when he saw the giant grains of salt decorating the pretzel. In a small fit of temper, I pointedly picked one of the largest pieces off and snapped it between my teeth, never taking my eyes off of him.

His eyes flashed but he kept quiet, turning on his heel to march out the door.

Salt was bad for hearts.

"Don't be petulant, Bella," said Esme softly. "He's just having a rough day."

I grunted unhappily, peeling another piece from my snack.

"He'll be sorry tomorrow," she said wisely. "He'll feel awful for having acted so childishly."

"He's being mean," I said angrily. "I was _hot!"_

"I know, honey," she said, having heard the story one too many times. Emmett walked ahead of us, letting us chat. "Carlisle is much like Edward when he's upset."

"He's _never _been mean to me," I pouted.

"And he'll be sorry tomorrow," she repeated. "Right now, I think antagonizing him is just making him angrier."

"Good," I said, pleased.

Esme looked torn between amusement and disapproval.

"That's not very kind, Bella."

"Well, _he's _not very kind."

She sighed, taking my salty hand in her own without another word about it. That's one of the things I loved about Esme—she didn't push.

"Well, I hope he'll be better once we're back home," she said. "You can ride with whoever you'd like after your appointment."

"Well, I'm _not _riding with _him,"_ I said scathingly as we passed Carlisle on the way to the cars, making his head snap around to me. He looked ready to say something back, but a sharp, indiscernible look from Esme stopped him.

"Come here, Bell," said Emmett, trying his best to be cheerful. I took his hand in my own, but strained my ears to hear the low argument between my two parental figures.

"…_not _her fault, Carlisle."

"…fucking _cold, _Esme! I…"

"I don't care one whit, Carlisle Cullen," snarled Esme. "Stop acting like a child."

Emmett tugged me away before I could hear any more, trying not to focus on the fact that Carlisle had said _fuck._

"Get in, Bella," said Emmett jovially, holding Alice's yellow Porsche door open for me. I slid inside and he closed the door behind me, letting me buckle my belt. Emmett slid into the driver's seat, starting the purring Porsche and pealing away from the airport.

Esme followed soon after, Carlisle on her tail.

"Did you like the pretzel?" asked Emmett cheerfully. "They're the _best."_

"It was good," I admitted. "Salty."

He grinned, knowing exactly how to poke Carlisle's anger.

"Yeah, but it's not like you eat them every day," he reasoned. "There's no reason to deny you a treat every now and then."

The rest of the drive to Seattle Children's Hospital went in a similar fashion, the two of us exchanging light conversation the entire way. Emmett managed to lighten my sour mood a bit when we reached the parking lot, but as soon as I caught of Carlisle's irritated gaze, My own sourness returned with a vengeance.

"Esme?" I called, determined to make Carlisle as miserable as he was making me.

"Yes dear?" she said, stepping from her Audi and into the cold lot.

"I think I want to see Doctor Denali _by myself_, today."

Carlisle pinched his lips together in an effort not to retaliate, and I was displeased.

I wantedhim to see how mean words and voices could be.

"Bella, I'd really prefer it if you let one of us in," she said. "We need to know of any changes."

"Well, _you_ can come in."

"Bella, stop being childish," snapped Carlisle. "Esme has no knowledge of medical matters and would be of little help."

"_You're _not the cardiologist," I snarked back. "We don't need your _knowledge of medical matters."_

"Don't you sass me, Missy," he warned. "I'm in no mood for it."

"Good for you, _Doctor Cullen, _because I'm in no mood to listen to you either."

"Bella!" Esme gasped

Carlisle took a deep breath, watching me with a scarily calm façade.

"You will do as you're told, Isabella," he said angrily. _"You_ are the child here, and _I_ am the adult."

"Then act like one."

"Do you want to be grounded when we get home?"

"It's not like I go anywhere anyways!" I shouted, losing my cool. "Go ahead! Ground me!"

"Fine," he returned. "One week."

"Carlisle!"

Carlisle ignored Esme, keeping his gaze trained on me.

"And if you want to make it two, keep it up." And with that, he turned and began to make his way into the hospital.

"Come on, Bella," said Esme softly. "We'll deal with this after you see the doctor."

"No."

She raised her eyebrows at me, questioning.

"No what?"

"No, I _won't_ go see Doctor Denali," I said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because _he_ wants me to," I said, pointing rudely at Carlisle.

"Oh, yes you will," he said dangerously, wheeling back around. "Get in there."

"No."

"Bella, now."

I shook my head defiantly, not looking away from him for a second. Even when he stalked forwards, beyond angry, I stood my ground.

"Get in there and let Eleazar do his job," he ordered. "I won't have you make a scene in the parking lot."

"Like you made a scene at the airport?" I sassed.

He growled, low and gravelly, before he took me by the hand and pulled me forward, making me slip.

"Carlisle!" cried Esme, shocked.

"Let me go!" I shouted, tugging away from him.

People were looking at us now.

"Then walk on your own," he barked. "Move."

I yanked my hand out of his grip and turned on my heel, speed walking back towards the cars.

"Let's go!" he shouted, angry. "Goddamn it, what's the matter with you?"

"_You're_ the matter with me!" I shouted, tears pooling. "I hate you!"

"Yeah, get in line," he retorted, gripping my forearm.

"Carlisle, that is _enough," _said Esme, shakily angry. "You don't _ever _have the right to use your hands on our children."

Carlisle's hand was pulled from my arm and he took a step back, breaking heavily.

"Bella, go inside _now."_

"I hate you," I said again, shaking with tears. "All because I wanted to open the _window?"_

"No, not because of the window," he said back, sounding calmer. "Because I have things to attend to today, and we need to get this done."

"Well sorry I'm interfering with your _schedule," _I drawled. "Why don't you just grab me again? Maybe that'll make me move!" I thrust my arm at him, noting the tremors that had overcome me.

I needed an Ativan now, thanks to him.

"Emmett, take her inside to Eleazar and meet us back out here when you're done," said Carlisle lowly, dismissing me.

Emmett's eyes were hard and unhappy as he took my hand in his—much gentler than Carlisle's grip had been—and left me little choice but to follow him towards the building.

"Let me _go, _Emmett!" I hollered. "Don't touch me!"

He dropped my hand as if it were made of acid, and I saw the hurt cross his face.

"Bella, come on honey," he pleaded. "Let's just get it over with."

I wheeled right back around and marched to Esme's car, jerking the back door open and tossing myself inside.

I locked both back doors behind me.

"Get out of the car, Isabella," warned Carlisle again.

"Don't _call _me that!" I cried, ripping off my mitten and throwing it angrily at the window nearest him.

_He _called me Isabella.

"Carlisle, call Eleazar and reschedule," said Esme darkly, sounding incredibly displeased. "We'll do this another day."

"The appointment is important, Esme," he argued. "She needs to be checked."

I hated him.

"Well, you should've given that some thought before you went and put everyone in a bad mood," she snapped. "She's a _child_ for Christ's sake, not one of your interns you can order around."

Carlisle didn't refute her and kept quiet, looking murderous. Without another word to me or his wife, he marched off towards his Mercedes and tore out of the parking lot, turning left towards the freeway back to Forks.

I hated Carlisle.

I hated, hated, _hated_ him.

"We'll reschedule, sweetheart," said Esme kindly, sliding into her driver's seat. Emmett, having disappeared, was now in the Porsche, taking off after his father.

"I'm _never _coming back here!" I cried. "I _hate _him!"

"Yes you are, and no you don't," said Esme easily. "Trust me, we'll be having a talk about his behaviour today and he _won't _get off Scott free."

"I'm never coming back to see _his _friend again," I returned, enraged. "I _hate _him and I _never _want to see him again!"

"You share a home, Bella," she reasoned. "You'll have to face him sometime."

"Then get rid of me," I challenged.

"Bella Marie," scolded Esme sadly. "Don't _ever_ say things like that."

"Oh Esme, I'll bet he's just jumping at the bit to get rid of me," I conspired. "He hates me too."

"Honey, he's just having a bad day."

"He grabbed me!" I wailed, feeling the outline of his hand on my forearm.

I succumbed to my tears in the back of Esme's car, earning me a sad sigh as she sped up a little faster.

"Do you need an Ativan?"

"I don't want _anything _from him!" I shouted shrilly, knowing that Carlisle was the one who had given Esme a spare Ativan or two for me, just in case.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella," she said gently. "Your medication is nothing to fool around with."

I just cried, ignoring her hand in the backseat with the little white tablet in it. After a few moments of attempted persuasion, she simply sighed and sat it in the cup holder.

I felt the major panic much sooner than I'd have liked, when we were still twenty minutes outside of Forks. Esme had adjusted her rearview mirror to see me instead of the road and as she drove, she stole glances at me.

"Just ten more minutes and we'll be home, Bella."

"I don't have a home!" I wailed, beyond reason. Her eyes brightened with tears and I saw her close them tightly for a moment as she held her tongue and continued to drive. By the time we pulled into the driveway, I was in the middle of a full blown panic attack and refusing to take my medication.

I wanted nothing to do with Doctor Carlisle Cullen.

Esme looked worried and a bit frightened as she jerked the car into park and nearly threw her door open, storming up to the house and flinging the front door open.

I heard her shouting at Carlisle from inside the car, the cold air washing over me from the open driver's door. Carlisle's voice couldn't be heard shouting back but I imagined he was, and I grew even more frightened.

"Bella?" called Edward's voice just as his face appeared before me. He reached through Esme's door to unlock the back one, opening it without caution.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said quickly, seeing my state of distress. "Come on, love, relax."

I cried harder, pulling away from him when he went to reach for me.

"I hate him!" I shouted, crying bitterly into my jacket sleeves.

"Come inside and get warm," he reasoned. "We can go to your room, if you'd like—"

"I don't _have _a room!"

"Bella, come on."

"Don't _touch _me!" Edward, much like Emmett had, recoiled violently and stood a few feet back, looking confused.

"Bella?"

"Go!"

"Mom!"

Esme's shouting stopped almost instantly and before I knew it, she came flying from the front door, looking disheveled and fearful.

"Come out of the car, Bella," she said. "Come inside."

I felt her hand on my arm, in the exact place Carlisle's had been just hours before, and I felt my stomach turn. I jerked myself out of the car just in time to be sick in the snow and not dirty Esme's car.

"God, Bella," said Edward, his hands fluttering uncertainly around me. "Come on inside and get cleaned up."

"Get off of me," I rasped out, my breath catching in my throat.

I didn't pay much attention after that as I scuttled to the snow bank, settling myself in it for the remainder of my time. My entire body shook with cold and nerves as my panic attack began to die down all on its own, after far too long.

And then _he _came outside, and my nerves ignited all over again. Edward moved his feet just in time, and Carlisle stopped dead in his tracks when he realized I was reacting to _him_, not any other stressor.

"This is out of hand," he said, his gentle voice returned to normal. "Come inside, sweetheart, and we'll talk about what went on today."

"I'm not your _sweetheart!" _I cried. Carlisle might've been finished being angry, but I sure wasn't.

"Of course you are," he said. "Now come inside." He didn't reach out for me, and for that, I was thankful.

Only when I felt a pair of entirely different hands on me did I finally relent, not even having noticed Alice coming outside. She didn't speak a word but her sad face spoke volumes as she steered me towards the door of Esme's white house.

It wasn't my house anymore, and I didn't want to go in there.

"No, you're coming inside," said Alice gently when I tried to resist her movements. In a heartbeat I was in the entranceway and Alice was working on undressing me. I let her do what she wanted and when she had my boots off, she took my hat and mitts away too.

"Coat, Bella," she said gently, holding out her hand. I reached up with shaking fingers and maneuvered the zipper to the bottom, managing to undo it and hand it to my sister. She hung it up on the hook over the vent to dry out, and I stood shivering in my puddle of sandy snow-water.

"Get out of that," she said sadly, pulling me forward. My sock feet made footprints on Esme's hardwood and without a moment's hesitation, Alice reached down and slipped my socks off.

My feet were chilly, and I curled my toes to try and warm them.

"The fire's going in the sitting room," she said gently. "Come sit." I cried as I followed her to the fireplace, letting her seat me on an ottoman right in front of it.

"Put your feet closer," she instructed. "I don't think you're frost bitten."

Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett were sitting on the sofa together, each looking grim and serious.

"You okay, Boo?" asked Emmett concernedly.

I didn't answer.

"Bella?" he asked again, worried by my shivers. Before I could stop him, he was out of his seat and next to me again, his hand hovering over mine.

"Bella, you need this," said Carlisle suddenly, having reappeared in the house.

_His_ house.

He was holding out the little white Ativan for me, and I recoiled instinctively.

"Get that away from me."

He looked both ashamed and nervous at the same time, but he placed it on my ottoman nonetheless.

"Your medication is yours alone, and it wasn't prescribed by me," he said sadly. "It's not my pill, it's yours."

I glared at the tablet, feeling the tightness in my chest returning.

"You're _his_ friend and _he _gave it to me!" I said wildly. "It _is_ yours and I _hate _you!"

Light-haired, grabbing Doctor.

I _did_ hate him, and I showed him just that by hurling the white pill right back at him.

It clicked when it bounced off of him and hit the floor, sliding under one of the sofas.

"I know you do, Bella," he said, unfazed, "but you need your medication."

"Jake?" I called anxiously.

No response.

"He's tied out back, Bella," said Rosalie.

I leapt off my ottoman and darted to the kitchen, where the back door was. Jake was rooting around in the snow, his muzzle covered in powdery white when he caught my gaze. I flung the door open and was out on the cold, ice-covered concrete of the patio before anyone could stop me, calling my puppy.

"Come, Jakey," I said, my anxiety immediately catching his attention. He bounded right to me, sniffing my feet with a nervous tick.

He whined.

"Jake, inside," said Alice quickly, seeing my feet.

Jake listened to Alice and I followed him closely inside, keeping right on his trail.

"Good boy, Jakey," cooed Alice gently, unclipping his leash. "Good boy."

Alice's dog, not mine.

I burst into renewed tears, and Jake grew even more nervous. He let out a string of piercing barks as I stood in the kitchen and cried, wishing at least _one_ thing in this house could be mine.

Edward's arms were the ones that encased me, and despite my misgivings I leaned into his embrace, dampening his shoulder. He swayed gently from side to side as I cried, his hands running up and down my back and through my now-knotty hair.

_Let it out,_ he was saying. _Just let it out._

And I definitely let _something_ out, though I couldn't be sure it was the _it_ he was talking about.

I wasn't sure how long we stood there together, but before I was ready to let him go, I felt another pair of hands pull me away.

Carlisle's hands.

"Get _off!"_ I moaned, struggling. "Don't _touch _me!"

"Calm yourself, Bella," he begged. _"Please_ calm down."

Jake's tongue lapped at my hand and the wet extremity found purchase in the fur around his neck, scratching him.

"Let me go, let me go, let me _go!" _I moaned, tugging as hard as I could against him.

"You're going to bruise, Bella," he reasoned. "Please just calm down."

"Let me go!"

I was far beyond reason.

He pulled me back against his chest, my back pressed up against him as he restrained me in a gentler way, no doubt sure I was going to hurt myself.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted," he began. "It was unwarranted and unfair of me, and I apologize."

I wiggled against him, determined to be set free.

"I should have never used my hands on you, and I should never have lost my temper. Now, I understand you're upset, but you need to take your medication and calm down before you do some real damage."

Another pill appeared in my sister's hand, along with a glass of water. I pressed my lips together in defiance and she sighed sadly, putting both down on the end table beside us.

Carlisle released me, and I crashed forward into Alice's embrace instead.

"Don't let him, Alice!" I cried. "Please don't let him!"

"Don't let him what?"

I just cried.

"Take it, Bella," she said.

I shook my head no.

"Please?"

"No!"

Jake barked sharply once more, nudging his nose in between mine and Alice's bodies.

"You're hyperventilating," she said.

I didn't respond.

"Your heart's beating out of control and you're shaking. This isn't good for you."

"I want to go _home,_ Alice!" I moaned.

"You _are_ home, Bella," she said, fearful. "Where do you think you are?"

"I don't know!" I wailed hysterically. Jake's loud, wet snuffle against my cheek grounded me and I reached out to stroke his head.

Jake continued to keep me sane as the tears finally ran dry and my energy ran out, leaving me with swollen eyes, a swollen face, and a plugged, crimson nose. I collapsed against him in defeat, wishing with all my might that he could be mine.

But he was always Alice's.

After a few moments of silence from everyone in the house, Alice held out the pill again. Without much effort on my part, she slipped it into my mouth and held a straw to my lips. I sipped it and swallowed the medicine with the small mouthful, letting my head fall gracelessly against the area rug in front of the fireplace.

It crackled and popped, keeping me cozy and warm.

"Bella?"

I shivered.

"I'm terribly sorry for the way things went today," said Carlisle. "I can't even begin to express how wrong I was to treat you the way I did."

No answer.

"I hope you know that I _don't_ hate you, nor do I want to be rid of you. This _is _your home and you _do _belong here."

I shivered, one lone tear falling to the rug.

"I should never have lost my temper and I should've been patient with you," he continued. "I should've never resorted to using force and I'm sorry for using my hands for something other than helping."

I wanted to scratch at the places on my arms where his hands had been, but I was far too tired. I didn't like feeling his doctor hands pulling at me when I'd said _no._

There was a long silence before he came and knelt on the rug with me, and when I cracked my eyes open again, I noticed we were almost alone in the sitting room.

Carlisle was in front of me, Jake was by my head, Alice was in the armchair and Esme was standing behind me, but the others had all disappeared elsewhere.

"You don't have to say anything back," he said softly, the old Carlisle having come back. I felt a gentle touch on my arm, where his hand and been earlier, soothing the angry red mark. I slid my cheek up onto Jake's furry side, using him as my own personal, warm pillow.

"I'm sorry I grabbed you so roughly," he said, upset. "The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."

I shivered again when his finger trailed up my cheek and he pressed a very gentle kiss to the crown of my head.

"I'm so unbelievably sorry, Bella," he repeated. "I hope you'll forgive me."

I didn't answer him, waiting for his response and was pleasantly shocked when he kissed me again, in the very same place.

"You rest now," he said gently. "It's been a long day."

I missed Nona and Papi and Nana Dora and Mr. Aro and Uncle Alec more than ever.

"Esme, pass me that afghan," I heard Carlisle say. I felt the soft material drape over me and I snuggled into it, feeling Jake's soft fur under my cheek.

"I'll move her later, when she's asleep," said Carlisle gently. "She's nearly there now."

In an instant, I proved him right.

**A/N: No, Carlisle didn't "abuse" Bella in this chapter... he lost his temper and decided to take matters into his own hands, so to speak. He didn't really hurt her, he more scared her than anything. The reason she might be bruised is because a) she's VERY fair-skinned and b) she was struggling when he grabbed her (making his grip even tighter than it was supposed to be). Carlisle is (and always will be) a kind, caring man. I'm sure you've all had experiences (if not personal ones, then ones you've seen around your neighbourhood) where a frustrated parent takes their child by the hand and pulls them away (think screaming kid at the park).**

**The problem with this is that though Bella's mentality resembles that of a child, parts of her do not. Everybody's learning.**

**Carlisle's not infallible.**

**Now, on a brighter note, there are currently 1876 reviews for this story... only 124 to go until we reach 2000! And just to remind all of you who don't know... I've disabled anonymous reviews. If you don't want to leave me a way to contact you, don't bother leaving a message at all.**


	53. Chapter 52

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 52**

**A/N: Here you go! Enjoy! By the way... only 68 reviews left until the 2000 mark!**

CPOV

She wouldn't even _look _at me.

"We should be able to start today," said Esme, her voice forcibly cheerful. "Would you like that?"

Bella let out a noncommittal sound, remaining focused on her oatmeal. Emmett and Rosalie both watched the interaction vigilantly, undoubtedly taking mental notes.

I just sipped my coffee and pretended to read the newspaper.

"We'll start with reading, I think," continued Esme. "We should be able to get a good handle on your first lesson today. What do you think about math?"

Bella didn't answer her.

"I think you'll pick it up easily," said Esme, seemingly unfazed by her lack of response. "We'll try some addition first, just to see where you are…"

Esme continued to prattle on about Bella's lessons while I discreetly tried to sneak glances at her, each time noting her refusal to meet my gaze.

She was still upset.

Yesterday had been an unmitigated disaster. Until then, I'd been exceedingly careful to keep my temper in check around Bella, but after the phone call from Caius the night before, I was in no mood to deal with her questions and prattling.

Granted, acting like a child was no way to go about things.

All I'd wanted was for Bella to get in the car and sit quietly while we drove. I'd wanted to get to Seattle, say goodbye to my family, get to the appointment with Eleazar and get home where I could correspond with dad about the financial situation Caius had gotten himself into.

But Bella was obviously in no mood to sit like a little doll in my car and was full of questions I didn't feel like answering.

_Are you mad, Carlisle?_

_What time do we need to be there, Carlisle?_

_What happens if you miss your flight, Carlisle?_

_Why is air traffic control so rigid, Carlisle?_

_What did Caius do, Carlisle?_

_Is he in trouble, Carlisle?_

I had been in no mood to discuss my feelings with her. I didn't want to delve into the specifics of terrorism after 9/11 nor did I want to rehash the to-do with Caius' bad investments. I didn't want to tell Bella that Caius was a pompous prick who refused to believe he was wrong. I didn't want her to know that Caius had been too busy investing his finances into failing businesses to take the time to book a flight to come out to Washington for Christmas. I _definitely_ didn't want her to know that Caius was propositioning money from Marcus, my father and myself to _save_ his business.

She didn't need to know that dad was against the idea, and she didn't need to know that one of dad's accountants might've already approved the money transfer.

I wanted to focus on driving, and her questions grated on my nerves.

Needless to say, when I'd approached that seemingly endless line of sluggish cars, my anger grew exponentially. When Bella spoke again I barely saw the frightened, confused girl, but rather a simple child dead set on irritating the hell out of me.

By the time the traffic jam was cleared we'd lost an hour and a half, and Bella had asked about ten more questions about Caius.

Then, she'd reached over and fiddled with the thermostat knob.

"_Bella, don't _touch_ that," _I'd snapped, shooing her hand away to put the dial back to where it was. It was _not_ hot in the car.

Bella's hand recoiled and her eyes stared at me accusingly as she clenched her hands into fists in her pocket, her eyes glued to the road.

She looked surly.

About half an hour later, just forty five minutes outside of Seattle, Bella's other hand had crept forward to the window button, and I'd watched with incensed incredulity as she pressed it, cracking her window down.

The blast of cold wintry air had assaulted me almost immediately, and it took all my self control not to lose my temper. With a sharp reprimand I'd closed the window with my driver-side controls, and Bella had once again turned away from me, upset.

She shrugged out of her jacket after that, and though I knew she was warm, I fought the urge to berate her again.

Sit quietly in the seat with your clothes on and leave the controls to me.

It wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

"…don't you think?" asked Esme, leaning forward. Bella nodded dismissively and continued to turn the strawberry around in her bowl.

Esme was beginning to look concerned, and the pucker between her eyebrows brought me straight back to our fight at the airport yesterday.

"_Whatever you're so upset about is _not_ her fault, Carlisle," _she'd berated me.

"_It was fucking _cold_, Esme! I just asked her to close the goddamn window and leave the thermostat alone!"_

"_Watch your mouth," _she'd snapped back. _"I don't know what's gotten into you today, but it stops here."_

"_Don't treat me like one of the kids."_

"_Then stop acting like one."_

That fight had lead to me pealing away from the airport, driving in a flurry to SCH where Eleazar was waiting for us.

Bella had been obstinately against me and I'd finally lost my cool, treating her like a mother would treat her spoilt, screaming toddler at Wal Mart. With her hand in mine, I'd tugged her forward to _force_ her into the hospital, ignoring her resistance and shouting.

Then, I'd grounded her and migrated my hand up to her arm instead of her hand, beyond frustrated. Esme had intervened then, knowing better than I in that moment how Bella would react to being physically coerced, and I'd been forced to make a snippy call to Eleazar, explaining how we wouldn't be making it in.

We had to pay a fifty dollar cancelation fee.

She'd screamed, cried and threw things at me in her rage, and only after she'd succumbed to her anxiety did she finally fall asleep by the fireplace with the dog as her pillow. Emmett, disgruntled and tired, had carried her up to bed later on that night, leaving Esme and I to argue quietly in the living room.

Now, the kids were at school and the rest of us were at the breakfast table, only _after _an angry argument with Bella about her place at the table.

She didn't want to sit down while I was there, and I didn't blame her.

"…and we'll be done lessons one through three by the end of the week," said Esme jovially. "Are you going to eat?"

"No," said Bella, quietly moody as she let the spoon clink against the side of the bowl.

"You really should," reasoned Esme, eying the still full bowl. "It'll make you feel sick, if you don't—"

Bella simply pushed her bowl away and leaned back against the chair, eyes glued to the wood grains of the table. Esme removed her bowl and disposed of the wasted food, returning with a cautious, uncertain countenance.

"Are you ready to get started, or do you want to get dressed first?"

"I don't care."

Emmett handed Esme a schoolbook and Bella's supplies from the floor and Esme set them up in front of her, giving each of us a silent dismissal. I rose from my spot, coffee cup almost empty, and noted with great sadness how Bella tensed up and unconsciously leaned away as I passed her.

Did she think I would hurt her?

"Look here," began Esme, turning to the opening page of the book. "The first thing that needs to be noted when learning to read is the sounds each individual letter, as well as letter combinations, will make when forming words."

Esme read from the textbook, leaving Bella to follow along in her own text. I slunk out of the room and went to the sitting room, where I could still hear the lesson, but not be so present as to be directly threatening to her.

"…learning to read short stories," finished Esme. "Now, what would we do if we found a word and were unsure of its meaning?"

"I don't know," said Bella sullenly.

"Think, honey," she said. "Do you know of a tool you could use?"

"No."

"Think hard."

Bella remained silent for a long while and I listened closely, holding the newspaper in my hands only as a pretense.

"You got one for Christmas," prompted Esme. "You asked me what it was for."

"I don't know, Esme," she said again, dejected.

"Yes you do," she said easily. "I _know_ you know."

"Yeah, well you know everything," she returned rudely.

"Not everything," said Esme lightly. "Just some things."

"No, you know everything and I don't know anything," she said. "I'm too stupid to learn."

"Don't berate yourself," she admonished gently. "You're far from stupid." Bella snorted dispassionately.

"No, I'm already _in_ stupid."

"Honey, what's gotten into you today?" asked Esme sadly. "You were so eager to learn..."

"Nothing's gotten into me today," she returned easily. _"Nothing_ will _ever _get into me since I'm too stupid to let it in."

"Bella," she chastised.

Bella was quiet.

"You're not stupid, and these lessons will teach you things you don't know."

"Whatever."

"What tool would you use to find definitions of words you don't understand?"

"I don't know."

Esme sighed, frustrated.

"Bella, I can't help you learn if you're not willing to help yourself," she said gently. "You need to apply yourself."

"I'm too dumb, Esme," she said again, her words eating at me.

"What's given you that idea?" my wife demanded. "Why are you so down on yourself?"

"Because I _obviously_ ask stupid questions and I _obviously _don't know the difference between hot and cold."

Guilt hit me hard.

"What?" asked Esme, confused.

"I tried to ask questions to _learn_ in the car yesterday, and he got mad," she cried, "and I thought it was hot in the car but _obviously _I was wrong!"

"Carlisle was in the wrong yesterday," said Esme firmly. "You did nothing to earn his animosity, and believe me, he's sorry for it."

"No, I'm just dumb, Esme, and I can't learn things. You're wasting your time trying to teach me, and I'm going to go upstairs to my room and be dumb by myself."

"Bella, don't go—"

I heard the sound of a chair being shoved back and before long, Bella's footsteps stormed angrily behind me, thumping loudly on each of the steps as she disappeared, Jake hot on her heels.

Esme appeared next, looking sour.

"See what you've done now?"

I wisely kept quiet, knowing I deserved her anger.

I knew better than anyone how Bella's mysterious mind worked, and I _knew_ she'd feel personally responsible for my actions yesterday.

"You'd better find a way to make this right," she said. "I won't have your careless behaviour ruining her chances at becoming what she wants to be."

"I know, Es," I said gently. "I'll try."

"No, you'll _do," _she returned. "You _will _fix this, and you'll fix it soon."

The phone rang, interrupting our discussion before I could reply. The cordless was on the table in front of me and without looking at the caller ID, I pressed _talk._

"Hello?"

"Doctor Cullen?"

"Yes," I replied, listening closely.

Esme stood in plain sight, waiting for some clue as to the identity of the mystery caller.

"This is Adrian Costner from the Phoenix Headquarters," said the agent calmly.

_Costner,_ I mouthed at Esme, taking the phone with me to the kitchen, where I knew I'd find a pen and paper.

"How are you?" I asked politely, sifting through the basket of phone books and address cards to find a notepad.

"Oh, I'm just fine," he said easily. "How's Isabella been?"

"Alright," I said. "She enjoyed her holidays."

"Has she started schooling yet?" he asked.

"We're trying to get that going today," I said. "The kids went back to school yesterday and Esme's started teaching her reading this morning."

"It's going well?"

"Well enough," I fudged, finding what I was looking for. "What can we do for you?"

There was a short pause, almost as if Agent Costner was trying to word himself properly.

"We have the trial dates set," he said softly.

"That seems fast," I said dubiously, checking the date on the calendar.

January 10th.

"Yes and no," he said easily. "If we had only found out about Dupont last April, we'd have almost no evidence to go on. He's been on our lists for a long time now, and the discovery of his hospital was just icing on the cake."

"Right," I said, not daring to ask what else that disgusting man was guilty of.

Kidnapping, trafficking, abuse and neglect of a minor, possible sexual assault… the list was endless.

"Do you have a pen handy?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Laurent Demoines is being tried on April 2 of this year," he began. "Victoria Hart on April 20, Felix Franconelli on May 13 and James Dupont on May 29. We're expecting Demoines' trial to be the quickest and Dupont's the slowest."

"Bella's not set to testify against the first man," I reminded him.

"Oh I know," he said easily. "According to both witness testimony and physical evidence, Laurent Demoines had very little contact with Isabella. I'm not sure there's much she could tell us that would act in our favour."

"Could she be subpoenaed?" I queried.

"Demoines took a plea bargain," said Adrian. "All we need to prove is how much of the hospital's doings he was involved with, and we know he wasn't involved with Isabella. She provided video testimony after she was admitted to Phoenix Memorial that should answer any questions the jury might have."

Video testimony?

"When do you need us?" I asked gently. "I'll book us airline tickets as soon as possible."

"Well that depends," said Adrian softly, sounding more hesitant now, "on what Isabella wants out of the experience."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she'll face her abuser in court," he said tactfully, "but there are other methods of closure she might want to look in to."

"Such as?"

"If you wanted to come early, she would have the chance to return to the hospital if she wanted to, she could see it as it is now, instead of what it was."

"You want her to go back to the Institute?" I asked dryly.

"Not at all," said Costner quickly. "I want her to find closure, and if seeing that the building is vacant and cleaned out would help her…"

"I'll talk to her about it," I said tiredly. "And Dr. Sanchez."

"Of course," he said quickly. "There's also the possibility of restorative justice."

"Restorative justice," I repeated dryly, staring down at the paper before me.

"Yes," he said easily. "It's when a meeting is organized between families, victims, offenders, law enforcement, attorneys and such for the victim and the offender to talk. Isabella would be given the opportunity to ask any questions she had for her abuser."

"I know what it is," I said tartly, dismissing him. "I'm just not sure if that's a good idea."

"Well, it hasn't been formally requested yet," said Adrian reasonably.

"And it _won't _be carried out until after the trial, _if _it happens at all," I told him.

"Of course not," he said. "These are just some things to think about."

"Will you be sending an attorney down to confer?" I asked. "Our attorney has returned to Seattle to work on some of his urgent cases, but I definitely want him involved."

"The DA should be in contact with us soon to set you up," he said. "We'll have our side of Isabella's interrogation drawn up and she should rehearse her answers carefully with both lawyers present."

"Do you have any questions for me?"

"Not at the moment."

"Well, you have my card if anything comes up," he said. "Call anytime."

"Thank you," I said.

He said a quick goodbye before he hung up the phone, leaving me no choice but to put the phone down.

"Carlisle?"

"Trial dates have been set," I sighed, turning to see Esme's confused, slightly worried gaze on me.

"Trial?" she squeaked. "When?"

"They start in April," I said. "They'll have more information later."

"What does she need to do?" she asked.

"Nothing as of yet," I said. "They'll send their interview questions to Marcus' office and he'll confer with us. We'll probably meet with a government-appointed lawyer as well, to make sure everything's in order."

Esme simply frowned, displeased, and turned towards the staircase.

"You'd better go up there and explain things to her," she said softly. "Don't take no for an answer."

Without another word about it, I stood from my place on the sofa and loped up the stairs, right to the third floor where Bella was hiding behind closed doors.

I knocked smartly on her door, waiting for her reply.

None came.

"Bella, open up, please," I said. I heard Jake's snuffle from the space under the door and I sighed, trying her doorknob.

Locked.

I knocked again.

"Bella?" I called. "Sweetheart, open the door."

"She won't open it," said a voice from the staircase, making me turn. Emmett stood there with a stoic, stony look on his face, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes she will," I said confidently, tapping once more. "She knows better."

Emmett's gaze hardened for a mere moment before he retreated back down the steps, no doubt to confront Esme about the phone call.

"Bella, open up," I said again, letting some authority leak into my voice. I heard her shuffle before the lock clicked, leaving the door accessible.

I turned the knob and stepped inside, looking around. Nothing looked out of place—her books were where they were supposed to be, her laptop was closed and turned off, her remote was sitting on the nightstand and her blankets were rumpled on the bed.

She was seated on the desk chair, her head laying on her arms and her face turned away from me.

"Bella, come here," I said gently, seating myself on her bed.

She ignored me, but I continued to speak.

"I'm sorry for losing my temper yesterday," I said gently. "It was wrong of me to react so intensely."

She kept quiet.

"We've had a phone call," I continued, treading carefully. "Phoenix called."

Her face turned and her eyes flickered up to me nervously before they returned to the floor.

"They've set the dates for the trials."

She let out a shaky breath and pressed her face deeper into her arms, no doubt trying not to cry.

"Bella?"

"What?"

"Did you hear me?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice muffled. "I heard you."

"Do you have anything to say on the matter?"

"No."

"Don't you want to know when they are?"

"Yes," she said again, her hand stroking Jake's muzzle.

"They start in April," I explained. "James Dupont's trial is in late May."

"Oh."

"There are some kinks that need to be worked out," I continued. "We'll talk about those when you're feeling better."

"I feel _fine,"_ she returned scathingly. "I might be stupid, but I _do_ know I'm not sick."

"You're not stupid," I returned softly. "You're very far from it."

"Whatever," she said again, sulky.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel that way," I said again. "It wasn't my intention to make you feel inferior."

She didn't respond, and I continued.

"Esme's worried about you."

"She shouldn't be," she returned, lifting her head up. Her cheeks and nose were flushed and her eyes were bright, but there were no tear tracks on her face as of yet.

"But she is," I said. "She's worried that you're feeling low about yourself."

"I feel low because I _am_ low," she returned viciously. "I don't know _anything."_

"Give yourself a little credit, Bella," I said. "You know how to read and cook, for one."

"Barely."

"More than some people," I said. "Some people don't even know their letters."

"I'm the stupidest one in the house, and nothing Esme does is going to change that."

"Why do you say that?" I asked, calm.

"Edward's going to go to Julliard to play music, Alice is going to design, Jasper's going to teach, Emmett and Rosalie are going to Yale, and I'm going to sit with Esme at the kitchen table learning how to use a dictionary and how to spell _crustacean,"_ she said. "I'm _stupid."_

"You won't get any smarter until you learn," I said. "You can't expect things to change without a little effort."

She didn't answer back, but kept her resentful eyes glued to me.

"You're not _stupid,"_ I repeated. "You just have some things to learn."

"_You_ seemed to think I was stupid," she challenged.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

She harrumphed unhappily and sat up in her chair, eying me carefully.

"Are you going to grab again?" she asked nervously.

"No."

"Are you going to snap at me again?"

"No."

"Did I do something wrong yesterday?"

"No," I said again. "Granted, throwing things isn't a productive way to get what you want, but I know I wasn't setting a very good example."

"Is Dr. Denali mad at me?"

"No," I said, shocked. "Why would Eleazar be mad?"

"Because I freaked out in his parking lot," she said dejectedly, "and I stood him up."

I suppressed a grin.

"No, he's not mad," I said. "I'm sure we're not the only two to have ever lost their tempers in the parking lot, and we paid the cancellation fee."

"Sorry," she said quickly, eyes flickering up to me. "I didn't think you had to _pay_ to not go."

I laughed softly, glad we were regaining some semblance of normalcy.

"You have to cancel at least three days in advance to avoid the fees," I said. "It was my own fault, Bella. Don't feel sorry."

She flushed red again and watched me carefully, assessing me.

"Are you still in a bad mood?" she asked, quiet.

"No," I said. "Even if I was, it should be no concern of yours. My temper shouldn't get the best of me."

"Oh."

We were silent for a moment before I spoke again.

"Are you ready to go downstairs to try that lesson again?" I asked.

She frowned and glanced towards the door, deliberating.

"Is Esme mad at me?"

"Oh no. I daresay Esme's mad at _me,"_ I divulged. "She doesn't approve of the way I handled things yesterday and sent me up here to fix it."

"Oh."

"Come on downstairs, Bella," I laughed. "Esme could use some help with lunch."

She stood up, Jake right behind her, and followed me to the doorway of her bedroom.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes Bella?"

"I don't hate you," she said quickly, glancing away from me again. "I don't, and I'm sorry I said I did."

"I know, Bella," I said. "It wasn't the first time one of my kids yelled that at me."

Her cheeks reddened again and I sighed in relief, watching her descend the stairs in front of me.

**A/N: So things should be okay with Carlisle. Remember only 68 reviews left!**


	54. Chapter 53

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 53**

**A/N: Today is my birthday! I'm officially an adult!**

BPOV

"Do you understand, sweetheart?" asked Esme.

"Yes," I said, looking down at the paper in front of me. I looked over my fractions one more time, absolutely sure that I'd gotten the correct common denominator.

"Well done," she said, smiling down at me. "You've done so well this past week."

"I finished those story questions from last night," I offered, procuring the scrawled letters on the lined paper. She took them from me without a word and began to read them over, leaving me red-faced and embarrassed.

Esme often reread my work while I was otherwise engaged with a textbook or booklet, and it always made me feel strange, knowing she was reading my words.

"Good girl, Bella," she praised, putting my answers down. "I think you're getting the hang of things."

"Oh."

"We'll move up within the week," she said. "You've passed all the testing we sent away."

Last week, after my fight with Carlisle was resolved, Esme had procured the state testing papers and sent them away. This morning, we had received the results in the mail, and I was informed that my math was at a fifth grade level, while my reading was at the fourth grade. It was pretty good for someone who had never remembered going to school.

Esme was hoping to have me in middle school by June.

"Shall we break for lunch?" asked Esme, eying the microwave clock.

12:32.

"Sure," I said, tossing my pencil down in the crease between the pages. My brain was frazzled from all the new information I'd absorbed today, and I knew Esme would be aching for a break too.

"Sandwiches today?" she asked. I agreed easily and Esme began to take out the ingredients, knowing I preferred ham to chicken.

"What have you learned so far today?" asked Esme, repeating our new lunchtime ritual. I was to explain my learning to Esme, to make sure I was keeping up.

"I've learned more fractions, I learned my twelve times tables and I wrote some new words in my word journal," I recited. "Tonight I need to read the next chapter of our book and then I'll have questions tomorrow."

"Good girl."

I took a bite of the lettuce, cheese, mustard and ham sandwich, swallowing it quickly. Esme's grainy whole wheat bread was my favourite bread, and I always ate it a little too fast. Esme offered me a diet soda from the fridge when I finished, and I slurped it noisily.

"Bella?"

Both Esme and I turned towards the living room, where we knew Carlisle was working on his laptop.

I peeked around the corner.

"Come here," he said, waving me forward. His eyes were focused intently on his screen, moving back and forth as he read some kind of text.

I hesitated, and only then did he look up.

"Marcus is here on webcam," he explained. "He wants to talk to you." Esme nudged me forth and I stumbled to the computer, where I found Marcus' smiling face on the screen.

"Hey Bella," he said easily, offering me a little wave. I waved back, looking up at the camera lens for a brief moment.

"Sit and get comfy," he advised. "We need to talk."

I sat stiffly next to Carlisle. Though we seemed to be over our fight, I still found myself a little awkward around him.

"Just this morning I received papers from the lawyers down in Phoenix," he said, making my stomach lurch. "I don't have a lot of time to get into too many specifics, but you need to know that we'll be working closely with the three prosecutors throughout the case. It's crucial that you be comfortable with them. The courts have decided to appoint separate attorneys and judges for each case."

"Oh."

"First up will be Miss Anna Flenderson," he said easily. "I've worked with her before on a few federal cases, and she's very good at what she does. She'll be the prosecutor for Felix Franconelli's case."

"A lady?" I asked, unsure whether I should be thankful or fearful. Esme poked her nose in just then, smiling carefully.

"I'll put your things away, sweetheart," she said. "Don't worry any more about your lessons today."

"For Victoria Hart, the prosecutor will be Mr. Brandon Noland," Marcus said, paying Esme no mind. I wasn't even sure he knew she'd interrupted him. "He's got a sharp tongue, but he's efficient."

I shivered at the thought of a strange man's questions.

"For Dupont, our godsend is Brian Cromwell," he said. "He's the best prosecutor the feds could nab, and I _know_ he'll be able to get the man behind bars."

I leaned away from the screen, startled when she felt Carlisle's steadying hand on my back.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine," she said softly, looking up at him. "What else?"

Marcus continued.

"All three of the accused have legal counsel as well," said Marcus. "Franconelli's enlisted Gordon Kramer, Hart's got Jesse Shepherdson and Dupont has Jerald Handler."

I knew none of those names, but some seemed familiar to Carlisle.

"Bella," said Marcus, reengaging me. "You need to know that these men will all try to cut you down and discredit you."

"Why?"

"Because they don't want their clients to go to jail," he said simply. "They'll use anything and everything against you, including any evidence we might submit."

"What do you mean, use it against me?" I feared. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, honey," said Carlisle quickly. "The courtrooms seem like a sort of game for them, and whoever makes the bigger move wins."

"Move?"

"We have evidence that we're using, but because we're using it the defense can use it too," explained Marcus. "They'll try to twist it around to make it what they want it to be."

"Have pleas been entered?" asked Carlisle.

"Not yet, but I'm sure they'll be in soon," said Marcus. "Judges have been assigned as well."

"Oh?" asked Carlisle, much more interested now.

"Jason Tyler for Franconelli's case, Leonard Hopps for Hart's and Mia Sheffield for Dupont."

"A girl judge?" I asked, surprised. "I've never seen a girl judge."

"You've never seen any judge," Marcus teased, grinning.

"I see them on TV," I defended. "They're men on TV."

"Sheffield's a sucker for these sorts of cases," said Marcus. "She's a good woman and more importantly, she's fair."

"It's a jury trial," Carlisle reminded. "It's not the judge we need to sway."

Juries, I knew, meant that a bunch of people would sit and listen, and _they_ would decide whether or not the Doctor was guilty.

"We'll need to set up meetings between the prosecutors and Bella," explained Marcus. "I'm just the intermediary."

"I don't want to talk to people," I protested.

"You need to meet with them if you're going to testify," he reasoned. "They'll have their questions for you and they'll want to rehearse your answers."

I fell silent, looking up at Carlisle instead.

"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked seriously. "Do you not want to testify?"

"No, I do," I said sadly. "I just don't want to talk to strangers."

"You'll talk to a lot of strangers before this is done," he warned. "Prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, I'm sure the media will be all over you…"

"Media?" I squeaked.

"This case is very popular with the press," said Marcus. "You don't even realize how publicized you are, do you?"

"Me?"

"When you went missing, there was a nation-wide Amber alert," said Carlisle. "The entire country knew you were gone."

I flushed bright red and sunk down in my seat, wishing the floor would swallow me whole.

"When you were found last April, people found out. Your old story aired over the news and people felt for you, Bella."

"People know about me?" I groaned, covering my face. Carlisle's hand rubbed my back sympathetically.

"They don't know much about you now," he soothed. "After you came to us, there was no media specials."

"Are news reporters going to be at the court in Phoenix?" I asked, aghast.

"Almost certainly," said Marcus. "You won't be able to release court details to the press, but they'll definitely be there."

"Are they going to ask _me _questions?"

"I'm sure they will," said Carlisle gently. "That's why we're bringing Marcus down with us."

"Who else is going?" I asked.

"Who would you like to go with you?" asked Carlisle softly.

"Edward?"

"He's in school, Bella," said Carlisle softly. "He's graduating this year, and can't be absent during the final weeks before exams."

My heart sunk, but the second name flew from my lips without hesitation.

"Emmett?"

"Of course," said Carlisle. "Rosalie too, if you want her."

I nodded fervently, knowing Carlisle wouldn't let Alice come either, since she was in the same boat as Edward.

"You'll have to choose either Esme or myself as your guardian while you're there," he added gently. "One of us will need to stay behind and mind things here."

I hesitated.

Esme would be emotional… she would be of little help to Marcus. Carlisle, on the other hand, would be informed and strong. He wouldn't cry in the courtroom. He would know what was going on and be able to explain it to me afterwards, when I had questions. If I panicked, he could help.

But he could also fall into a terrible mood again, and we might fight. I might throw more things at him, and he might get angry with me.

Then what?

"Think about it for a while," he suggested. "Listen to Marcus for now."

"I'll be in the courtroom with you," said Marcus gently. "They'll summon both Eleazar Denali and Carmen Sanchez as well to give testimony—"

"Carmen?" I interrupted. "She said it was private."

"Not in a courtroom, sweetheart," said Carlisle regretfully. "If she's subpoenaed for information, she'll have no choice but to give it up."

"Carlisle, she promised!" I cried, on the verge of tears.

"I know, and I'm sorry," he said. "She'll be tactful and only reveal what she's required to."

"As you might have guessed, Eleazar will talk about the transplant and the events leading up to it, and Carmen will be called upon to talk about your mental health," said Marcus. "With those testimonies, we should be able to secure some of the charges."

"Some of them?" I demanded. "Which ones?"

"All the charges against you," he said gently. "Kidnapping, and abuse and neglect of a minor."

I didn't like that… having all of the Doctor's offences against me packed up in a few neat words.

"That's not all he did!" I cried, outraged. "He made medicine, he hurt Gino, he hurt Anna, he hurt Betty, he zapped and he poked and—"

"I know, Bella," said Marcus gently. "I know, sweetheart, but those offences didn't involve you."

"How do they not?" I cried. "Of _course_ they involved me!"

Carlisle sighed, drawing me into a sort of uncomfortable embrace before he turned back to Marcus.

"Could we convene again?" he asked. "Maybe on another day?"

"She needs to know, Carlisle," he said. "She needs to know what he's being charged with."

"It was so much _more _than that," I whimpered. "Those words mean _nothing."_

"I know," said Marcus. "It's only legal jargon."

"He _let _Felix hurt!" I cried.

"I know," said Marcus again. "That falls under the umbrella of abuse and neglect."

Two little words that meant so much more than they suggested.

"Those are just his crimes against _you,"_ said Marcus softly. "He's being brought up on many more charges."

I stared at the screen, surveying his face carefully as he elaborated.

"He's being charged with all sorts of things," said Marcus. "We have reason to believe that he may have killed one of his patients in that hospital."

"Marcus," warned Carlisle sternly, just as my stomach lurched and I felt very sick.

"Killed them?" I asked. "He's a murderer?"

"Jesus Christ," said Marcus brusquely, noting my reaction. "No one told her?"

"It never came up," said Carlisle darkly, turning to me. "Bella, calm down."

"I feel _sick,"_ I gasped out, rushing away from the sofa.

The Doctor was a killer.

I made it to the bathroom just in time, and I knew Carlisle was following me.

"It was a long time ago, Bella," he said, rambling. "Over eight years—"

"I was _there_ eight years ago!" I cried. "Who did he kill?"

"A woman named Jennifer," he said softly, withholding nothing. "She was a mentally ill woman from Georgia and one of the first patients to undergo testing for one of his new drug regimens. Her body was found just weeks after she died, and he's been tied to the crime ever since. They've never been able to prosecute him because he's hidden himself away."

I just shook my head, trying to dislodge the idea of the dead woman from my mind.

"He did so much _more,"_ I groaned again, standing and flushing the toilet. "He _killed_ that girl!"

"I know, sweetheart," said Carlisle softly. "I'm sorry this is so stressful for you."

I stared at him with wide, incredulous eyes before I pushed past him and went back to the living room, where Esme stood, looking fearful.

I knew then that Carlisle would have to be the one to come to Phoenix… Esme would be far too sad to be of helo in that courtroom with my testimony, and I definitely wanted my parent in the courtroom with me.

"Marcus is calling you back later on tonight, Carlisle," she said gently. "He wants to set up preliminary interviews with the lawyers, or some such thing."

"Thank you, Esme," he said gently, ushering me back to the sofa. "Are you alright, now?"

I sniffed and closed my eyes tightly, wondering how my day had gone from decent to poor in such a short time.

I hated the Doctor even more for ruining my day.

"Carlisle?" I asked, looking up from my knees.

"Yes, dear?"

"How long are they trying to put him in jail for?"

"Life," he said easily. "Without parole, and possibly the death penalty."

I felt sick all over again, but I forced the feeling back.

"They'll kill him?"

"If they have enough evidence," said Carlisle softly. "They'll need to prove he killed that woman, though."

"Did he kill any more?" I asked.

"Only he can answer that," said Esme gently. "We just know of Jennifer Harrison."

_Jennifer Harrison._ My mind fabricated an image of a sweet-tempered, quiet girl with light hair and blue eyes that looked like Rosalie. The name _Jennifer_ just seemed so—kind.

"She was twenty two," said Carlisle softly. "She'd fought with her mother and ventured out on her own and hitchhiked to Arizona. From the news reports, we know that she was picked up on one of the major roads and wasn't heard from again. Her body was found over nine months later in the desert by some local deputies.

"How close to the Institute?" I demanded.

"Miles away," said Carlisle. "Someone went through great trouble to keep that place secret."

_Of course he did,_ I thought. _What would've happened if the police had figured him out sooner?_

They'd have found me and brought me to Carlisle and Esme, that's what would've happened.

I _loathed_ him.

The microwave clock red 1:01 now, and I decided that I was worn out.

"Jake," I called softly, exiting the bathroom. Sleepy Jake trotted over to me and stood at my feet, pressing his side against me for some petting.

"Where's Emmett?" I asked softly, focusing on Jake's soft fur.

"Just upstairs where we was before," said Esme gently. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine," I said. "Just angry."

She said nothing in return, simply offering me a sympathetic smile.

"Go on up and chat with him for a while," she said. "Alice and the others should be home in an hour and a half."

Without further ado, I sought out my brother, knowing he'd know what to do. Emmett _always_ knew.

"Em?" I called, noting that Jake followed me even into the forbidden abyss that was Emmett's abode.

"Hey Boo, just a minute!" he called, and I heard him scuffling behind the closed door.

I waited, my patience wearing thin when I heard him banging around. When the door opened up and I was surprised to see a disheveled Rosalie touching up her lip gloss and making sure her shirt was in place. I paid her disarray no mind and walked right into my brother's bedroom, assessing him.

He too, was disheveled, but much less so than Rosalie.

"Marcus says the Doctor killed a girl," I said sadly, earning me a look of shock from Rose.

"When were you talking to Uncle M?" asked Emmett, baffled.

"On webcam," I said. "He talked to Carlisle and told me lawyer names and he told me that the Doctor killed a girl named Jennifer."

"Shit," said Rose, forgetting her half-tucked shirt and lopsided ponytail. "Are you serious?"

I nodded quickly, and she cast a firm gaze at Emmett.

"I'll give you two some time," she said. "Come find me if you need me."

Emmett didn't object, but kept his eyes glued to me.

"Are you alright?" he asked carefully. "Did you panic?"

"No, I threw up and got mad," I said quietly. "How _could_ he, Emmett?"

He didn't answer.

"And Marcus!" I continued, my anger bubbling again. "He just said these _words, _as if what that Doctor did could just be given a name! He called it _abuse and neglect of a minor."_

Emmett listened attentively, not daring to interrupt.

"It was so much _more _than that, Emmett!" I wailed. "How could he just slap a name like that on it?"

"Everything has a name, Boo, whether we like it or not—"

"That's the _wrong_ name!"

"What's the right one, then?" he asked, not unkindly. "What would you call it?"

The words flew from my mouth before I could even give it a moment's thought.

"I'd call it torture," I blurted. "I'd call it unwarranted cruelty and inhumane treatment. I'd call it breaking up families and making little kids into his guinea pigs! I'd call it-"

"Jesus Bella," said Emmett, interrupting my tirade with a hug. I squeezed him back, my grip as firm as it could be in my current state, resting against him.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," he said gently. "I know Marcus' legal jargon might not do it justice, but it is what it is."

"They need to _call_ it what it is," I said, muffled by his front.

"Talk to Rose, Bella," said Emmett gently. "I'm sure she knows just what you mean."

"What?"

"Rosalie," he said again. "She was taken advantage of at that goddamn new year's eve party and she _knows_ just how unfair words can be."

Rosalie. Right.

How could people lump her experience into one terrible, four-letter word?

"I want you to come to the trial with me," I informed him quickly. "Edward can't come because he's graduating, but you've already done that and I love you."

His chest rumbled with laughter.

"Of course I'll come, Bell," he said soothingly. "And I love you too."

I took a deep, soothing breath, calming myself down.

"Do you think Rosalie will come too?" I asked.

"I'm sure she will," he said. "She's been wondering if you'd ask."

"Well I'm going to," I decided. "Alice is in school too."

"Carlisle or Esme?" he asked practically.

"Carlisle."

"Why?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Esme will be too sad," I explained. "She'll cry."

He nodded, needing no further explanation.

"Are you going to fall asleep on me?"

"No," I scoffed, far from tired. "I'm just worn out."

He flicked on his television and sat back against his sofa, letting me sidle in next to him.

_Holmes on Homes _was on, and the two of us fell into an easy, uncomplicated silence.

The next thought hit me all at once, and I couldn't help myself from blurting it out.

"Hey, what were you and Rosalie doing when I came in?"

**A/N: Things are going to kick into high gear now... it's time for some retribution!**

**I only want two things for my birthday- some reviews to get me closer to my coveted 2000, and some more readers for my new story!**

**The new fic is called _It Happened in the Village_, and it chronicles the human lives of Alec and Jane of the Volturi. It's an amalgamation of my own imagination (I have much more creative freedom with this story, while still keeping with the original story) and the facts provided by Stephenie Meyer. So far, it only has 6 reviews for the first chapter, and once I get a feel for people's reaction, I'll decide whether or not to keep it going.**

**Also, whenever I post new stories, my PM inbox is flooded with people asking if they can "recommend" my fic to others (through their own ANs). I'll say this here instead- feel free to advertise for me wherever you feel it appropriate (your ANs, Twitter, personal emails, your profile, etc.) As long as you're not stealing my story, I'll take all the readers you can give me!**


	55. Chapter 54

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 54**

**A/N: This chapter is broken into two parts... I made the choice to incorporate a time jump. I'll explain more at the end.**

BPOV, January 2011

"Um…"

I watched Emmett struggle with his words, and much to my amusement, he blushed.

"Nothing special." I stared at him, skeptical, and waited for a better answer.

"Private things," he amended, his eyes begging me to let it go.

"_Private_ things…" I teased.

I had my suspicions about what they might've been doing.

"Yes, Boo, private things," he said gruffly. "Go find something to do."

I laughed aloud, a short, curt sound, and left him alone, showing him mercy where he would've shown me none. Without another word, he turned away from me, and I took that as my cue to leave. The humor of the situation died down quickly and I was once again reminded of Marcus' words, and how angry I was about it.

"Rose?" I called, stepping out onto the landing.

"Here, Bella," she called, opening her door. She wasn't disheveled anymore, and I grinned again.

"Come on in," she welcomed, stepping aside. I crept into her room and watched her, wondering if I should tease her too.

Rosalie was much too perceptive and caught on immediately.

"Go right ahead and laugh," she said, sounding proud. "It's not the first time we've been interrupted."

It was my turn to blush, knowing that Emmett and Rose were doing _couple _things.

Couple things Edward and I weren't even close to considering yet.

"Emmett blushed," I informed her.

She just smiled, sitting on her bed.

"What's up?" she asked, looking concerned once more. "Are you alright?"

"He killed a girl," I reiterated. "He killed her!"

"He's a shitty person, Bella," said Rose firmly. "He's done some disgusting things."

"And Marcus' words made me mad," I informed her.

"What did he say?"

"_Abuse and neglect of a minor,"_ I mocked scathingly. "Easy words."

She simply nodded, knowing exactly what I meant.

"Words are just words, kiddo," she explained. "You'll learn soon enough that though they might sound simple, they carry with them great connotation and meaning."

"It sounds so plain!" I cried. "Emmett said you'd know about plain words."

"I do know about words," she agreed. _"Rape _was mine, _abuse _and _neglect _are yours. I know just how you're feeling."

I stared at her for a long moment, studying her face. Rosalie, instead of crying and throwing up, just looked angry.

It took more than words to make Rosalie cry.

"You'll learn in court that there's a lot more to those words," she said. "The jury won't take kindly to them."

"How do you know?" I asked, sullen.

"Because _I _don't take kindly to them," she said easily. "Abuse and neglect of a minor means that he hurt a child."

"So?"

Rosalie looked up at me, astonished.

"So, most people would agree that children are to be loved and cared for," she said. "Not beaten and starved."

"He didn't _beat _me," I said, embarrassed.

"Maybe not with his fists," she said softly. "He hurt you, and you're just a kid."

"The jury might think they're just words too," I said fearfully.

"The jury is going to be made up of people just like us," she said. "Everyday people with everyday jobs and lives. Some of them will _have_ children, some might _work_ with kids, some might even be grandparents."

"Oh."

"I can almost guarantee that any woman would convict him," she said. "Every mother there will want him dead."

I looked down at the floor, cheeks reddening, and Rosalie pulled me to sit next to her on the bed.

"I'm sorry you're upset," she said gently, "but you'll learn how intense those words can be, when it comes time to use them against that bastard."

"Okay," I said, nodding.

She gave me a tight hug and while she was still hugging, I asked my question.

"Will you come too?" I asked, looking up. "Emmett and Carlisle are, and I want you there too."

"Of course I will," she said easily, smiling. "I'd like nothing more than to see that man incarcerated."

My cheeks darkened once again.

"Are you tired?" she asked, glancing at her clock. "You've had kind of a rough day."

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "But I'm not going to bed."

"If you say so."

"I'm hungry."

"So go and eat," said Rose easily.

"Thanks for listening," I said without hesitation, standing from my place beside her.

"Anytime, Bella," she said. "I'll always listen."

ooOoo

_April 13, 2011_

"…and then, we've got to go."

"You'll do wonderfully," said Edward gently. "I'm absolutely sure of it. I just wish I could go with you."

"So do I," I said, glancing at the calendar on the wall.

Tomorrow, Emmett, Rose, Carlisle and I were setting off to Arizona, to get settled into our rental home. Next week, the trials would commence, and I would have to go and sit in the court room and talk about Vicky. After, I'd get a little break, and then I'd have to talk about Felix and then last, I would talk about the Doctor.

And they would all be there, and I'd have to point to them and talk about things I was never supposed to talk about.

Ever.

I was nervous.

"We'll be able to call," said Edward gently, "and dad says you'll be flying home for a little while between trials, so I'll see you then."

"And you'll see it on the news," I muttered unhappily, glancing out the window.

The driveway was clear now, but I couldn't help but remember how it had been just weeks ago.

_Carlisle and I sat on the couch together, looking through more papers from the lawyers in Phoenix._

"_These are your copies, Bella," he said gently. "Study them and then write down your answers."_

_This trial business was a lot like school, and I wasn't sure I liked it. I had to read, write, interpret and speak out loud, and I often wished the answers would just appear instead of me having to write them._

"_Alright—"_

_The six-o-clock news cut me off, and both Carlisle and I turned to look._

"…_a special news coverage for our viewers," said the man._

_We were both shocked when we saw our house come up on the screen, words flashing underneath._

DUPONT'S VICTIMS REVEALED, _read the text._

"_For Christ's sake," snapped Carlisle, angry. I stared at the television as he stood up, moving to the window. I gasped when I saw him appear on the TV window too, sliding the curtains closed. The news crew outside was in a tizzy over the confirmed sighting of life in the house, and without much hesitation, they were banging on the door._

"_Bella, go upstairs and stay away from the window," said Carlisle firmly. "Go to Emmett's room."_

"_Okay," I squeaked, rushing to the staircase. I heard Carlisle opening the door and ordering the people off his property, and before I could knock on the door, Emmett's head poked out._

"_What's going on?" he asked. "Why's dad yelling?"_

"_There's people with news cameras outside," I said sadly. "He sent me up here and said to stay away from the windows."_

_Alice, Jasper, Rose and Edward were also in the room, each face ranging from incredulous to angry._

"_News for what?" demanded Alice, grabbing the remote. Jasper, ever practical, closed the curtains, shielding us from any prying eyes._

_CNN came back on with the news headline, and all five heads swiveled to me._

"_Goddamn it," said Emmett angrily. "Who the hell do they think they are!"_

"_Shh!" I whispered frantically._

"_Leave now!" we all heard Carlisle yell. "I'm calling the authorities!"_

_Carlisle could be seen slamming the door in the reporter's face as she turned back to the camera, looking very excited._

"_James Dupont's youngest victim is confirmed to live right here, in this house. Though we can't release the name of the girl, we can confirm that she will be testifying against her attackers at the legal trials later this year."_

_The woman babbled on about me, though she never said my name, and I felt myself tearing up._

_I wanted the floor to swallow me whole… all of Forks would know who I was now, and maybe even some people _outside_ of Forks._

"_Bella, come here," said Alice softly, reaching out to take my hand. I let her pull me back, almost tripping over Jake, to let her hug me._

_The sirens were heard then, and within moments, I saw the red and blue flashing lights of the police cars. The television showed a man emerging, ordering the camera to be turned off, and CNN went back to the anchor._

"_Why is she here?" I demanded, peeking through the curtains. The woman was arguing with the police officer._

"_Because they're covering the trial," said Jasper softly. "They've been talking about it for weeks now."_

"_Why are they _here?"_ I asked again. "How'd she know where I live?"_

_No one answered and I heard more raised voices outside…_

"Probably," agreed Edward gently. "You don't have to talk to them if you don't want to."

"I _don't _want to," I muttered. "They might try and make me."

"Then just say no," he said softly. "You're your own person, and you can make that choice for yourself. You don't have to tell them anything."

I took a shaky breath and turned back to the clock, reading the time.

9:48 pm.

"You leave at eight tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"We fly out at eight," I corrected. "Port Angeles to Seattle, Seattle to Phoenix."

"So you'll be gone before I leave," he said softly. "I'll be up tomorrow to say goodbye."

"Okay."

"You'll do fine," he said again, using his thumb to slide my lower lip from my mouth. If I had it my way, it would be bitten raw.

"Will you make sure Jake's okay?" I asked, turning to make sure Jake was still snoring.

He hadn't even noticed my concern, and although I'd usually be saddened by his inattention, I was glad he was resting well.

"Of course," said Edward. "I'll be at his beck and call."

I swatted his shoulder, hearing his sarcasm.

"Be good to him," I said sadly. "Make sure Alice feeds him."

"Alice always remembers to feed her dog," said Edward soothingly. "Don't worry about him."

"I know."

"What's the first thing on your schedule?" asked Edward.

"When we get there, we're going to the house," I said quietly. "When we're settled, Carlisle's going to drive us to see the courthouse."

"Nothing strenuous," said Edward gently. "Just looking around a bit."

"I get to see Betty this week," I said excitedly. "She's in another hospital now."

"Do you _want_ to see Betty again?"

"Of course I do!" I said, scandalized. "She's very kind."

Edward, smart as he was, would never understand why I was so eager to see my old Institute friends.

"What about the others?" he asked. "Gino? Anna?"

"I don't know," I said, shrugging. "Carlisle and Marcus say they might be at the court."

"Well, make sure you're comfortable there," he said gently. "You know dad will be able to help whenever you need him."

"I know."

"Mom's going to call every night," he warned. "Maybe twice."

"I know," I said again, saddened. Esme had been sad, but she'd been very understanding when I announced my choice accompaniment to Phoenix. Carlisle had been pleased and relieved, knowing very well that I might have demanded Esme after our fight over the car window. I think everyone knew that Carlisle would be the more reasonable choice.

The clock now read 10:30.

"I need to go to sleep," I said softly, knowing I was going to be cranky tomorrow. "It's getting late."

Edward jumped up and glanced at the clock, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I didn't realize the time."

"It's fine," I said quickly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he returned softly, leaning forward to kiss me. It was quick and sweet and when he pulled away, I felt a pang of sadness.

It would be a while before I got another goodnight kiss from him.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said. "Sweet dreams."

"Bye." Edward closed the door with a soft click as he left, and once I was left in the quiet, my eyes welled up with tears. A few slid over onto my cheeks and I sniffed, wiping them away before they could leave any evidence that might be visible in the morning.

Jake, hearing my sniffling, lifted his head to investigate, and once he saw what was going on, he leapt up next to me on the bed.

I couldn't help but giggle as he snuffled my neck, tickling with his fur. His tongue darted out and kissed the top of my neck, earning a squeal.

"No Jakey," I said softly, pushing his head away. He sat between my legs and panted into my face, looking impatient.

"Good dog," I said, patting his head. "Nice boy."

Jake loved the praise and pushed his head against my hand, insisting that I scratch his ears.

Of course, I indulged him.

"Go to sleep, Jake," I said gently, after a few minutes of scratching. He looked at me, alert, and watched. I set the example and laid down against my pillow, letting him snuggle in next to me.

**A/N: Some of you are going to wonder why I chose to have such a dramatic time lapse in the middle of my chapter. This story is getting long (not that I'm objecting, of course) and there was very little I could say about the time in between. I want all trial questions and answers to be revealed at the trial (not before). In case anyone's wondering, the time in between would've been spent on Bella's schooling (progressing nicely), meetings with lawyers and doctors, and more trial preparation. **

**If you haven't already, please go to my profile and vote for your favourite sequel. Also, in the mean time, feel free to check out my newest story, _It Happened in the Village. _It's only got a small number of readers, and I'd definitely welcome a few more!**

**AND! Thank you all so much for helping me reach my 2000 review goal! Last I checked, there was 2010!**

**...I wonder who will get 2012?**


	56. Chapter 55

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 55**

**A/N: The chapter delay notice is still in effect, but I felt bad leaving everyone without something to read. This was a quick (albeit kind of important) chapter and I hope you enjoy it.**

**Bella's experiences at the end are based on very recent memories of Tylenol 3s after my toothache.**

BPOV

_April 14, 2011_

"_Flight 95 to Phoenix, now boarding," _said the intercom voice. _"First class passengers, please line up at the gates."_

"That's us," said Carlisle gently, taking his carryon bag with him. "Come, Bella."

I jumped up from my seat and scrambled after him, making sure I had my bag and my airplane ticket in hand. On the ride down, Carlisle had stressed the importance of keeping careful track of my ticket, since the airline would be very disgruntled and we'd be held up if I lost it.

"Nervous, Boo?" asked Emmett, draping an arm over my shoulder.

"No," I said bravely. "I've been on an airplane before."

He just smiled, letting me go when the man at the desk called me forward. He gently took my ticket and scanned the barcode under his laser, smiling when the computer screen flickered.

"Here you are," he said, returning the ticket to me. "Head right through there, and you'll be directed to your seat."

"Thank you," I said, snatching up the ticket again and placing it in the front pocket of the carryon. Carlisle was waiting at the side for me, smiling and calm.

Emmett stepped up to the man next, Rosalie waiting just behind him.

"Come on," said Carlisle gently. "We'll get settled."

Emmett shot me an encouraging smile, letting me know that he was fine on his own. Carlisle, knowing my nervousness, took my hand in his own and led me further down the little hallway.

"You have your Ativan?" he asked softly. "It's in your carryon?"

"Yeah," I said, nodding.

The security people had given me a scare when the strange, cold man had questioned my Ativan. I think if it was his decision, he would've taken it away from me.

"We'll be right near the front," said Carlisle gently. "We're all together."

"Oh."

"Welcome to American Airlines," said a lady, standing in the doorway of what I assumed was the plane. She was kind and smiling, and I calmed down just a little when I saw her.

"Well, Mr. Cullen," she began, looking at the tickets, "you and Miss Swan are just here, in 1A and 1B."

"Thank you," said Carlisle, ushering me forth. I saw the seat with my number on it, and I glanced over at Carlisle, questioning.

"Sit right there," he said, pointing. "Put your bag up and your seatbelt on."

"Where are you going to sit?" I asked, seeing the lone seat.

"Right here." He took the section next to me, and all I could see was him.

"Hey Boo!" said Emmett jovially, stepping into the plane. He threw his bag in the seat in front of mine, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Where's Rosalie?" I asked, glancing around him.

"She's right behind me," he said, just as she walked in. "You scared yet?"

"Emmett," snapped Rose, putting her bag in the overhead compartment. "Sit down and leave her be."

He just laughed at her, and did as he was told. I sighed, sitting in the silence for a moment before I glanced over at Carlisle. He was watching me as well, and I blushed when he smiled.

"Are you a nervous flyer, Bella?" he asked softly.

"No," I said, not half as confident as I sounded. "I was fine last time."

Though last time, I didn't quite understand that I was thousands of feet in the air.

"If you do get nervous, you can take a second Ativan," he said softly. "Don't suffer in silence the whole trip."

"Okay."

Before long, other people began to enter the plane, and a few passed us on their way to business class. I saw women and children and men of all ages, none paying much attention to me.

Once, though, a young man passed by me and took a second glance, looking ready to speak. A quick, stern glance from Emmett kept him quiet though, and I felt my face flame once more.

He probably saw me on CNN.

"_The Captain has asked that everyone wear their seatbelts as we prepare for takeoff,"_ said a new intercom voice, and I felt a stab of fear.

I didn't like flying, I decided.

The flight attendants began their safety demonstration, and though I'd seen it before, it frightened me this time. Life vests on an airplane? Were we crashing into the ocean?

"Take an Ativan, Bella," said Carlisle suddenly, having been watching me. I looked over quickly and saw him unbuckle his belt, reaching up above my seat. He pulled my bag down, ignoring the look he got from the attendant, and sifted through my things to find my medication.

"Here," he said, passing the bottle to me. "There's water beside you, right there."

I reached over and cracked the seal on the water bottle, taking the little pill Carlisle had retrieved for me. The rest went into the pocket at the side of the seat, and I swallowed it without incident.

The plane began to move faster, and I held onto my armrest. One glance at Emmett told me that he was very calm, ear-buds in place, tapping his foot to the beat.

Rosalie smacked him on the arm, reminding him to turn off his electronics as we took off.

The plane surged forward and my stomach felt like it leapt into my throat. I clenched my teeth together and jammed my eyes shut as my seat leaned back, and I knew we were going up.

Up and up and up.

The Ativan took the edge off, but not even pills could make me feel better at that moment.

"_Count, Isabella," _I could hear Danielle saying. _"Count your breaths and you'll be okay."_

_One, two, three, four, five, six…_

_Too fast._

"Bell?" I felt a warm hand on mine, and my eyes snapped open, finding Emmett crouched beside me.

"You okay?"

"Mhm," I said quickly. "Fine."

"Yeah, sure."

"Excuse me, sir," said the flight attendant. "I'm going to have to ask you to move until we get the carts through."

Emmett glared at the strange woman but did as she said, sitting stiffly on the edge of his seat. He cheered somewhat when she offered him food, and I couldn't help but smile.

Food always made my brother happy.

"Would you like a drink, Miss?" asked the lady kindly, her metal cart blocking the way.

"Give her some orange juice, please," said Carlisle gently. The woman looked at him for a moment, turning her questioning gaze to me.

"She's anxious, and I want her blood sugar up," he explained. "She has a heart condition."

The words _heart condition_ made up the woman's mind and she obeyed Carlisle without question, handing me a little cup of juice. She also put some complementary peanuts and pretzels in front of me, just in case.

"Let me know if you need anything," she said.

"Thanks."

"Drink that," ordered Carlisle, asking the woman for some coffee. I sipped it dutifully, taking a bigger gulp once I'd tasted it.

Emmett sat with a little glass of airplane champagne, sipping it daintily.

Rosalie was quiet and calm with her apple juice, and I knew she had her music on.

The flight was three hours long and as time went on, I found that the Ativan did its job well. By the time the second flight attendant had come around to give me more pretzels, I'd fallen into a dead sleep.

ooOoo

"Bella, we're landing," said Carlisle softly, shaking me awake. "You need to put your seatbelt on, sweetheart."

"Hm," I groaned out, my eyes opening blearily.

I was rarely woken once Ativan put me to sleep, and I wasn't fully coherent.

"Seatbelt, Boo," Emmett reminded me. "We're landing."

I fumbled with the belt and managed to do it up, right as the seatbelt light lit up and my eyes closed again.

I barely felt the sharp jolt when the tires hit the ground, and only when we were allowed to collect our belongings was I woken again by Rosalie, who was handing my bag to Emmett.

"Come on, sleepy," she teased. "We're leaving." She helped me up and gently and laughed when I snatched my free pretzels, holding them close. The drink lady smiled at me as I left the plane, and only thanks to Rosalie's help was I able to stagger down the little hallway into the waiting area of the airport.

"Luggage is over here," said Emmett, waving us over. He glanced from me to Carlisle, who was following after us.

"Here Rose," he said, handing her my carryon along with his. "There should be a car waiting at the front. Bring Bella and tell them Emmett and I are getting the bags."

Rosalie said a quick _alright_ and led me away, half-dragging me through the throngs of people.

"Almost there," she said softly. "You can sleep again in the car."

"'Kay," I said, feeling the tiredness creeping back up. I saw a bench on our way out and wanted nothing more than to rest on it, but Rosalie, chuckling, led me right past it.

A man was waiting by a long, black car, and he was holding a sign that said _Cullen._

"That's us," she said, pointing. She showed the man her driver's license and without much issue, he let us inside.

"There," she said, pointing me to the seat at the back. "Go and sit down before you keel over."

Almost as soon as I hit the seat, I was fast asleep.

ooOoo

"Belllaaa..." sang Emmett, tickling my nose with the end of my hair. "Come on, snoozer. Get up."

"Go away," I groaned, swatting him away. As I shifted, I felt my cheek sticking to the leather of the car seats, and I grimaced as I peeled it away.

"No, come on," he laughed, taking my hands and sitting me up. "Come on, Bella, we need to get inside."

"Inside where?" I asked stupidly. "The plane?"

"No, the hotel," he said. "We're in Phoenix, and we need to let the driver get going."

"Oh."

I cracked my eyes open and looked up at him, vacant and confused.

"Come on, stoner," he teased. "Up you get."

He slowly pulled me from the vehicle, making sure I was steady on my feet before he brought me to the front doors of a tall, grey building.

The air was dusty, hot and dry outside the car, and with a pang of nausea, I remembered where I was.

I hated this air.

Emmett, seeing my discomfort, steered me right into the building, which thankfully, was air conditioned. Carlisle was at the front desk, conversing with the worker, and soon enough, he had some keycards in hand.

"Rosalie and Bella," he said gently, handing Rose a card. "Emmett and I are sharing."

"Fourth floor," supplied Rosalie, glancing at me. "Christ, she looks high."

"I think she is," said Emmett fondly, pulling me into a hug from behind. "How many Ativan, dad?"

"Three total," he said dismissively. "Better tired than anxious."

"Tired Bella?" asked Emmett.

"Mhm."

"Feel a little funny?" he asked again, holding in a laugh.

"You're such a child," said Rosalie disapprovingly, reaching out for my hand. "Leave her alone." She thrust my blue suitcase at Emmett and gently took me from him, leaving him with two bags and no Boo.

"Come on, honey, we'll go and rest," she said.

I barely noticed her leading me from the lobby and into the elevator, and was very distracted by the mirrored walls inside.

The elevator dinged and when it stopped, the sudden lack of movement almost knocked me down. Luckily, Rose was there to catch me.

"Easy there," she said. "Careful."

"Sorry," I said thickly, hearing my slurring. She just grinned and pulled me from the elevator, holding my hand like she would a little girl.

"Here we are," she said, glancing up. She swiped the keycard and the light blinked green, letting us inside.

There was a little kitchen, a sofa and television and two beds against the far wall. Three doors lined the walls as well—a closet and bathroom, I knew, but the third remained a mystery.

Rose locked the door behind us, and moved me towards the little sofa.

"Sit," she instructed. "You can change and sleep soon."

"Okay."

The room was cool and comfortable, but before I could disobey Rosalie and fall asleep _before_ I changed, the mystery door opened and my brother came through.

"Here, stoner," he said, calling me that strange name again. "Get changed into some PJs and go to bed."

"'Kay."

I stepped forward and took the suitcase from him, opening the zipper and peering inside.

Alice and Esme had packed for me, and I was glad—they knew how to fold everything the right way. I found my coolest PJs quickly enough and looked around, wondering which room was the bathroom.

Rosalie helped by coming out of the washroom, leaving the door open for me.

"Call if you need any help," she said gently. "Be careful not to fall down."

"I won't fall down," I said easily. "I'm just fine."

I_ sounded _stupid.

I got dressed in the brightly-lit bathroom without incident and emerged victorious, dirty travel clothes in hand. Carlisle was here now too, and he was the one who handed me the laundry bag and ushered me into the bed closest to the window.

"Lay down and sleep it off," he advised. "You should be back to normal by tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Okay," I said, nodding. My eyelids felt very heavy and it didn't take much for me to fall back into slumber.

The last thing I saw was my three companions settling in at mine and Rosalie's little table, all eyes watching me.

**A/N: This chapter is UNEDITED! If you catch any grammar/spelling/continuity errors, let me know and I'll try to fix them ASAP.**

**Let me know what you think!**


	57. Chapter 56

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 56**

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter... we get to meet a new character!**

BPOV

"Are you sure you're ready, kiddo?" asked Emmett worriedly, his hands moving up and down my arms as he struggled with his own anxiety.

"Yes," I said, exasperated, having repeated myself too many times. "It's just Betty, Em."

Emmett shot me a disgruntled look, clearly thinking it was more than _just Betty._ Emmett thought Betty was crazy, and I thought _he_ was crazy.

She was just a little different.

"Em, leave her alone," scolded Rosalie. "She's fine."

Emmett glared at her, but closed his mouth and let me get into the car. The driver was somebody from the FBI, since the news people were always around and I wasn't allowed to say too much before the trial.

The authorities didn't want them harassing me, and for that, I was grateful.

"You have to be _nice_ to Betty," I stressed, wheeling around to face my brother. Carlisle glanced back at me, squished between Emmett and Rose, looking torn between amusement and pity.

"I'm not going to harass her, if that's what you think," he said, scandalized. "I just don't want her upsetting you."

"She doesn't know any better," I said sadly. "Please be nice?"

"I'll be nice," he appeased. "I promise."

For some reason, I didn't believe him.

"You're a liar," I accused, resting my head on his shoulder. "I know you think she's nuts."

"She's a schizo, Bella," he argued. "That's sort of the definition of nuts."

"You're being mean again," I warned. "Be nice."

He fell silent, looking irritated.

"Does she talk to Jesus and see bugs on the walls?" he asked scathingly, breaking the silence. "Did you not just say last night that her screaming got you into shit?"

"She doesn't _know_ any better!" I repeated. "Things scare her."

Last night, I'd made the mistake of retelling a story about the Institute. Emmett, unused to my stories, had been absolutely furious when he'd discovered that I'd taken the blame for one of Betty's noisy nightmares. She'd cried out, and because we were both girls, we sounded sort of the same, and I'd sworn to the Doctor that it had been me screaming, not Betty.

He'd already been to mean to her that day, and it made me sad when she was hurting.

Emmett didn't find my behaviour as chivalrous as I did, and now, he was being surly.

_"I_ got me in trouble," I corrected. "She didn't _blame_ me for it."

"But she let you get away with it," he said stubbornly. "She was the adult."

"And she doesn't know any better," I repeated. "She's not too smart."

Emmett grumbled at me, but kept his big mouth shut.

Betty, I was told, was living in a new hospital in Phoenix—the same hospital I'd been to when I got out of the Institute. She had an older sister who lived in Canada, and plans were in the making to return her to her family.

Betty would be gone soon, and I didn't think I'd ever see her again. Maybe she could be my Facebook friend, if she ever made herself an account.

"There might be press outside again," said the FBI man. "Just keep your head down and focus on where you're going."

Emmett caught my grimace and squeezed my shoulder in a kind way, letting me know that no one would mess with us as long as he was beside me.

Reporters were a little leery of Emmett when he got mad.

The ride was quick and easy, since midday traffic wasn't too bad in the hospital area. I vaguely recognized the streets as we went, knowing that last time I'd been here was with Danielle and Cole almost a year ago.

The memories were _very _vague.

As we came around the hospital corner, I saw a group of people camped outside with cameras and microphones, and I felt my cheeks flaming red as we pulled up to the doors. The black standard-issue FBI car drew their attention, and when the agent stepped outside and moved to Emmett's side, they started jogging closer.

Their eyes fell on Emmett and when I stepped out after him, the frenzy started all over again.

"Isabella, is it true you've prepared your testimony for James Dupont's trial?"

"Is it true that he kept you in a cell?"

"How have things changed for you since you moved in with your siblings?"

"Isabella, is it true you suffer from a heart condition?"

Questions, questions, questions.

"Miss Swan has no comment to make at the moment," said the agent curtly. "Please step back." They listened to him, but questions were shouted until I crossed the threshold of the hospital.

"Isabella, are you nervous to face the accused in court?"

"How do you think James Dupont will react to your statements?"

"Why did you change your mind and decide to testify?"

I blocked myself off from the inquisition and focused on the tile beneath my feet, right until the doors closed and their voices were cut off.

"I'll wait here," said the agent. "You go on up and take your time."

"Okay," I said softly, looking up at Carlisle. He had a calm, knowing look about him as he moved to the nearest help desk, gently asking where we might find Betty. He spoke with the nurse for a short moment before he turned back to us, beckoning.

"This way," he said. "She's up on the fifth floor."

The elevator made me nervous when we got to it, noticing the dark-haired doctor reading his papers at the back, but I bit my tongue and held my breath as we went up, glad that the doctor didn't pay me any mind. When we stopped on the third floor, he excused himself and left, leaving the four of us all alone as the elevator doors closed again.

No one told me to relax this time, but I felt Rosalie's grip tighten reassuringly on my hand.

Everything would be fine.

The elevator dinged again before I was done thinking, and Carlisle led the way through the doors. I saw a closed door outside of this elevator and was confused as Carlisle picked up a phone on the wall.

"Who are you calling?" I demanded.

"The nurse's station," he explained. "They have some patients in here who might try to leave without consent, and they don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Hurt?" I squeaked. "Who's going to get hurt?"

"They'd more than likely be looking to hurt themselves," he explained softly. "Some people are more profoundly unhappy than we can ever dream of being."

I shivered at the thought, and automatically wondered if Betty was one of those unhappy people.

Carlisle got someone on the other line, and I listened as he explained our motives for showing up at their locked door. The buzzer went off as he hung up and I heard the subtle click of the lock, right before he swung the door open and held it for us. Being a doctor, he knew how to ensure the door was locked tight behind us, and I pushed back the irrational fear of being locked up in a space with Betty again.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen," said a kind, dark-skinned nurse. "We'll set you all up in the common room and then I'll go and get Betty for you."

"Thank you," said Carlisle softly. The lady-nurse's eyes fell on me, and I looked back at her, unused to seeing any dark-skinned nurses.

Vicky was white as paste and all the hospital nurses both here and in Forks—especially in Forks—had been pale. Only one Native American lady had helped me in Seattle and even _she_ wasn't as dark as this lady. I tried not to stare, and I was sure Emmett was confused when he caught me.

"Common room's this way," said the nurse, pointing us in the right direction. "Go and make yourselves comfortable."

Emmett tugged my hand and I went with him, letting Rose go ahead of us into the designated room with a round table, some chairs and couches. I sat beside my brother, in the seat closest to the door.

"Did you know her, Bell?" asked Emmett softly.

"No," I said. "Why?"

"You were staring at her," he said gently.

"She's dark," I said, perplexed.

"Yeah…" said Emmett slowly, confused. "What about it?"

"Why?"

"Different ethnicity," he shrugged. "No big deal."

I stared, confused.

He looked baffled and a little embarrassed, turning to Carlisle for help.

"People whose ancestors come from different parts of the world will be different colours," said Carlisle tactfully. "Your ancestors were European, whereas hers were probably African or Caribbean."

I stared, confused and he sighed, shaking his head with a little smile.

"People who come from different places have different skin colours. People of European descent are typically lighter than those of African descent."

"She's from Africa?" I queried, amazed.

"Not necessarily," he said patiently. "Her ancestors might've been."

"What's an ancestor?"

"Relatives from far back in the past," said Rose. "Mine and Jasper's ancestors fought in the Civil War."

"Oh."

"My family's from Jamaica, sweetheart," said a kind voice from the doorway, making me swivel. I saw the kind, dark-skinned nurse watching me with soft eyes and my face flamed bright red, beyond embarrassed for not knowing. The lady just chuckled and stepped inside, resting against the doorframe.

"There's no shame in asking," she said gently. "I was born in New Mexico, but my mother was born in Kingston, Jamaica. I grew up here, in Phoenix."

I nodded, turning to look away before I thought of more questions to ask about this new bit of information.

"My brother moved back there with his wife not two years ago," she said fondly. "I'll be visiting him this summer."

"That's nice," I squeaked, wishing she would leave now. I didn't want her knowing about me _not _knowing about her colour.

"Look here," she said fondly, stepping just outside the room again. I saw her lean over and wave gently, and I heard a new set of soft footsteps pattering closer.

"Look who came to see you," said the nurse. "Your friend's here."

"Friend?" I heard a familiar voice ask. "No, not friends."

I smiled excitedly as the voice grew nearer, and the voice sunk deep into my brain, letting me remember.

"Cheep's my little friend," said the voice. "Cheep, Cheep, Cheep."

"Yes, honey, well take a look inside," coaxed the nurse. "Look whose at the table."

I grinned from ear to ear as the familiar face came into view, big blue eyes darting from side to side. They swept over the strangers first before they fell on me, and I saw her tear up.

"Oh Cheep," she said in a whisper. "Cheep, Cheep, Cheep."

"Hi Betty," I said bashfully, standing. Betty, still nervous around the chairs, sidled over and looked me over, putting a hand on my head.

"You grew," she announced softly. "Big, big, big."

"Little things always grow," I reminded her, speaking the same words she'd always said to me.

"_I'm just little," I complained, looking over to the strange lady in the bed next to mine. "Too little to reach them cups."_

"_Little things always grow, Cheep," she laughed. "You'll grow too."_

"_I'm not cheap," I argued, my lip stuck out in a pout._

"_No, you cheep," she retorted. "Always cheeping. Cheep, cheep, cheep like those little noisy birds in the morning."_

"_Do not!"_

"_Cheep."_

"Yes they do, girl," she nodded. "Do, do, do…"

She reached out and took my hand, examining the colours of my fingernails.

"Oh…" she said nervously, glancing over my shoulder at Carlisle. "That one's got his eye on you, Cheep."

"That's just Carlisle," I said easily. "He's very kind."

Betty grumbled, watching Carlisle with suspicious eyes. Being a doctor made him used to suspicious looks from people, though, and he took it well.

"No, he's got his eye on you," she argued. "Your hands are coloured."

"I know."

"My blanket's blue," she announced. "Blue like the sky. Hi Cheep."

"Hi Betty."

"I saw bugs the other day, girl," she said. "Big bugs with legs. I need to cut my hair. The ends are all dead and done. My sister's coming, you know."

"I know," I said quietly. "Want to sit down?"

"Oh…" said Betty, shaking her head. "No, girlie, that's where _they_ live."

"Who?" I asked, feeling like a little girl again.

Betty always liked to tell stories about things living in the furniture.

"Them pins," she said in a rough whisper. "They pick and poke when I sit on down and then I've got to get back up again. That redheaded bitch is trying to poison me."

I felt a pang of fear at the memory of Victoria, settling down when I saw a kind, older woman with dark red hair talking to my dark-skinned lady outside.

Betty eyed her up and down, shaking her head dubiously as she began to pick at her fingernails.

"She put it in my oatmeal," she continued. "In my food! I saw her sprinkle it on…"

"Maybe it was sugar?" I asked, believing that to be far more likely than poison.

"I'm not stupid, Cheep, I know poison when I see it."

"Sorry."

Betty nodded and mumbled softly, biting her fingernails as she looked out the door.

"Take me out?" she asked, taking my hand. "I want out."

She sounded sad now, and I looked at Carlisle for help.

"Your sister's coming to get you soon," he reminded her. Betty glared at him and stepped back, displeased.

"Blonde sons of bitches," she barked angrily, ignoring the fact that her own light hair fell into her eyes. "Look at him, all smug and cocky…"

"Betty…"

"Look at him, Cheep. Look at those eyes and that hair… coming up from the floor, Cheepie. Right on up! I got a balloon yesterday from Nicole."

"What the fuck is she talking about?" I heard Emmett hiss, anxious and disturbed. Carlisle just shook his head and continued to observe, much to Betty's discomfort. I sat down in the plastic chair as Betty sighed and shook her head, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Now come on, Cheepie," she said gently. "Get on up before they get you."

"Nothing's going to get me, Betty," I assured her. "It's only a chair."

"Well, when that redheaded bitch gets you, you'll be sorry," she warned. "I just know it."

I shivered again, falling silent as I turned to Carlisle.

"I learned to read books," I told her, hoping she'd be glad. I saw her mouth twitch up in both corners and she hoppy-ran over to the bookcase, snatching one from the shelf. She came forward with vigor, eyed my chair, and braced herself as she gripped the sides and dragged me over—away from Carlisle—and insisted that I read it.

"Go on, girlie. Read it."

I flipped the first page open and glanced back at my brother, who looked proud, sad and humbled all at once.

I noticed with quiet happiness that the book was _Wuthering Heights, _the very same book Jasper was insistent I wait to read.

"1801. – I have just returned from a visit to my landlord—the sol…"

I hesitated.

"…solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with."

I struggled with the words, but was relieved from my duty when Betty took over, speaking solely from memory.

"This is certainly a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined…"

Betty went on to recite the whole first page, only stopping when her memory failed her and she got distracted.

"I live with Jessie now," she said abruptly. "She watches me eat, and I watch her sleep."

"Oh."

"Margie's coming, Cheep."

"Who's Margie?"

"My sister Margie's coming, Cheep," she repeated. "Coming, coming, coming…"

"From Canada, right?"

"Yes, from Canada," she agreed. "Snowy Canada."

I watched as Betty smiled, rambling about what she knew of Canada now that her attention had drifted once more.

"Snowy, swimmy, trees and lakes," she said. "Mountains, rivers, oceans and bears…" She stopped mid-sentence, yawning widely.

"I'm tired, Cheep."

"Then go to sleep," I suggested, sad to have to say goodbye so soon.

"With that bitch watching?" she raged, looking towards the door. "No goddamn way."

"I'm sure the other lady will keep good care of you," I bargained.

"Nicole's very kind."

"Betty, are you all finished here, sweetie?" asked the dark-skinned Nicole, peeking in and seeing Betty standing.

"Yes, Nicole, I'm all finished here sweetie," she returned dutifully. "Cheep says sleep. Did you know that birds have pillow feathers, Cheep?"

"Yeah," I said softly. "Soft."

"Soft…" she repeated, nodding. "Yes. Soft. Soft, soft, soft…"

"Come on then, sweetheart, and you can nap," suggested Nicole.

Betty, demure and obedient, rose from her place and looked at me, smiling.

"See you later, girlie," she said. "It'll be supper time later."

"I'm not staying for supper," I reminded her. "Just for a little visit."

"No supper, Cheepie," she said. "Growling like a lion…"

"You'll probably be in Canada next time I'm in town," I said sadly.

"Bye Cheep."

"Bye Betty."

The wide-eyed, rambling woman watched me with an intense stare as I glanced back, growing more and more awkward as more time passed and she continued to watch.

"I'll miss you," she said finally, looking a little nostalgic. "Been together a long time, you and I."

"Yeah." My eyes teared up as the finality of the situation hit me, and I realized that this was probably the very last time I'd ever see her.

She was strange, but she was my oldest friend.

"Aw, no crying, girl," she said sadly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She'd learned those words right from the Doctor, and I remembered just then that Betty _knew. _She knew just what the Doctor did and how he did things and she _knew_ that he hurt.

She had scars too, and before I could help myself, I threw my arms around her neck, squeezing her tight.

She jumped in surprise and I saw her fight with her anxiety, but to her credit, she patted my head and squeezed my waist, staying still as I finished my embrace.

"Bye Betty."

"Bye Cheep," she said softly, her blue eyes misty and far away as she stepped back from me.

"I'm tired now, Nicole," she announced, looking to the nurse for assistance. Nicole, smiling, came and helped Betty to the door, making sure she was steady and not crying before we left.

"Doctor Daniels wants to have a talk with you later on," said Nicole. "I'll wake you for dinner a little early so you can talk with him."

"Yes, talking with the doctor," said Betty assertively. "Hello Doctor Daniels… my name's Betty. Margie's coming soon, Nicole and Cheep's not eating supper…"

Betty's voice trailed off as she was led further and further from the room, and I was left standing alone in the middle of the big room, feeling tearful and sad.

"You okay, Boo?" asked Emmett, breaking the silence. I heard him stand and I rushed to wipe the tears away, turning to look at him just as he reached me.

"Fine," I said curtly. "Are we done now?"

"Are _you_ done?" he asked carefully.

"Betty's tired," I reminded him. "It's time to go, unless_ you've_ got someone to visit."

"We'll go then," said Carlisle softly. Rosalie followed demurely after him as he led us out the door, stopping to check out at the nurse's station.

"Doors open!" I heard the redheaded lady call. The doors buzzed and the lock clicked again, and the red haired nurse smiled at me as I left the ward.

When we stepped back out into the well-lit, bland hallway, I felt a new rush of sadness.

"Come on, kiddo," said Emmett sadly, moving to the elevator. "You're alright?"

"I'm fine," I insisted. "I'm just going to miss her."

"I think she'll miss you too," said Rosalie softly. We stepped into the elevator and the doors closed behind us, bringing us back down to the main floor.

The FBI man was waiting on a chair, reading a magazine. When he saw us coming back, he made a call on his phone and within minutes, another black car appeared outside.

That car held two people who spoke to the press and kept them away from me as we moved to his car, which was waiting just where we'd left it in front of the doors.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed Betty. One big characteristic of schizophrenia is disjointed speech... I hope you were able to follow along.**

**I felt a little teary myself when Bella said goodbye... :(**


	58. Chapter 57

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 57**

**A/N: My apologies for the delay... this chapter's been done for a while, but I've been having internet connection issues. I'm at a family member's house right now, and decided to update while I had the chance.**

**This chapter is a little emotional, but I think it was necessary.**

_April 18, 2011_

EmPOV

After that clusterfuck of a visit with _Betty_ two days ago, I was absolutely, one hundred percent certain that Bella was done. I'd seen the matching scars on that woman's wrists and the crazed look in her eyes as she rambled and grumbled strange words to my sister. I'd tolerated her while she was there, knowing that we were in _her _space, not the other way around. In two days, Bella was expected in court with Uncle M to testify against Victoria, and I _knew_ that was going to be a fuckfest of its own, regardless of what happened in the mean time.

So imagine my surprise when yesterday, an FBI official shows up and asks Bella if she'd like to take a stroll down to the desert to visit her old prison. Then, imagine my absolute incredulity when Bella said yes.

I'd been ready for hours, having showered, dressed and eaten my fair share of breakfast before anyone else was even awake. At 7:30, I'd knocked on the girls' door, leaving Carlisle to dress and shower in peace, only to find Rosalie wide awake and bright-eyed, but my sister still sound asleep in her bed.

Yesterday, we'd had some downtime and had taken the time to relax. We watched movies in the girls' room and ordered room service for all three meals, and Bella had shared with us some more disturbing, gruesome tales of that _Institute._

Now, I was going to see the place for myself.

"Hey Boo?" I called, peeking my head around the corner. Bella was sprawled out on her bed, looking quite comfortable, but facing away from me. Her deep breathing told me that she really _was_ asleep and not pretending, though unresponsive to my prompting.

Late nights always made for sleepy a sleepy Bella.

"Bella," I prompted again, smiling when she squirmed. "Come on, kiddo, you've got to get ready."

"Mmm."

"Come on," I urged easily. "Breakfast is downstairs today."

Continental breakfast was nowhere as good as bacon and eggs, but it would suffice today.

"I'm not hungry," she grumbled unhappily. "Go away."

"We're leaving soon, Bell," I said softly, unable to tease her about her sleepiness on this somber morning. "Do you not want to go?"

She froze in the bed and turned to face me, her brows puckered in concern.

She'd obviously forgotten, though I wasn't sure how.

"What time is it?" she croaked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. I glanced over at the alarm clock.

"Seven forty," I said gently. "We're leaving around 8:30."

"Okay," she groaned, throwing the blankets aside and swiveling around to stand. She stretched and yawned, running a hand through her knotty hair, looking around for Rosalie.

She found her sitting on the sofa, reading a book. Rose, as always, was composed and calm, glancing up only to smile.

"I picked you some clothes," she said gently. "You looked tired. They're on the counter in the bathroom with your toiletries."

"Thanks," said Bella softly, scuttling to the side and disappearing behind the bathroom door. It was quiet when we heard the tap running and her shuffling around, no doubt trying to move as fast as she could.

A quiet knock on the adjoining door to mine and Carlisle's room startled me, but I wasted no time in opening it. Carlisle stepped through, hair damp but put together as he surveyed the scene.

"Did she get up yet?" he asked, glancing to Rosalie.

"Just now," she said. "She's getting ready in the bathroom."

"I'll be done soon!" called Bella, earning her a smile from our father.

"Take your time," he called back. "We've got forty five minutes."

Bella most definitely wasn't Alice, and could get ready in less than twenty.

"Did you eat?" asked Carlisle, turning towards me. I gave him a soft nod and turned to Rose, who shook her head.

"I figured I'd eat when she did," she shrugged. "I'm sure she won't want to go down alone."

Twenty minutes later, Rosalie and Bella returned from the hotel lobby with bagels, cereal, juice and coffee. They ate as quickly as they could, finishing just in time for the phone to ring, letting us know that our car was here.

"You ready?" asked Carlisle softly, putting his arm around Boo's shoulders. She nodded stoically and led the way out of the room, not even hesitating at the elevator.

I would never understand why it was that Bella was so keen to return to her former hell. I didn't know why she wanted to look at the place she was adamant never to see again.

I didn't understand a lot about my sister, and I wasn't sure I ever would. Bella was most definitely an enigma.

When we reached the lobby, something else happened that no one expected. The four of us stepped out of the elevator and into the cool, beige entrance and Carlisle scanned the area, his eyes landing on a figure near the doors. The man was dressed in casual wear—slacks and a button-down top—looking very cavalier, only his gun giving him away as an agent. He was average height and build, with average brown hair and eyes. He wasn't good looking nor was he ugly, but he was just… average.

Bella, however, seemed to think him more than average, and as soon as she laid eyes on him, she stopped dead.

"Bella?"

She didn't answer me, but continued to stare, ignoring my insistent tug on her hand.

"Bella, what's the matter?" I asked, turning to look at the man. He'd noticed us by this time, and was slowly approaching, his eyes zeroed in on my sister.

"Bella, come on," I urged. Carlisle and Rose watched her nervously as well, not knowing what her problem was.

"Are you okay?" I asked anxiously. "Bella?"

"That's Adrian Costner," she said softly, speaking with intense conviction.

Carlisle's eyes lit up with understanding, and he immediately drew her in for a hug. Neither said a word as this Adrian man approached, and by the time he stood before us, I was growing more and more displeased.

What had he done?

"Hello Bella," he said softly, reaching out to her. He rested his hand on her shoulder and to my surprise, she shifted her embrace from Carlisle to this stranger, hugging him tight around the chest. His hands patted her back as well and he waited until she let go before he turned to the rest of us, smiling.

"I'm going to escort you down to the building, and let you do what you need to," he explained gently. "There are a few sections off limits, only because their in danger of collapsing, but the rest is at your disposal."

"Thank you," said Bella quickly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"You're welcome, Bella," said Costner softly. "I was only doing my job."

What had this man done?

"Agent Costner was the one who found Bella last year," said Carlisle, noting mine and Rosalie's confusion.

A weight lifted off of me when I realized that this man was no villain, but rather more of a hero.

"I'm Emmett," I said easily, holding my hand out for this man to shake. He did so with a firm, but not aggressive grasp, shaking Rose's hand after mine. Bella watched her saviour with wide, curious eyes as we were led from the hotel and out into the street.

Cameras flashed again, as they always did, but Bella paid them no heed this time. She continued to stare as Agent Costner led us towards his vehicle, opening the rear door for the three of us. Bella squeezed in beside Rose and I once more, making sure to sit up straight and tall this time. Carlisle and the agent got in front and before long, all of us were speeding down the freeway, headed south.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Bell?" I asked concernedly, watching her reaction.

"Very sure," she said, speaking with conviction. "I want you to know, too."

Of course she did.

"The first floor west wing is off limits," said Agent Costner softly, "as well as the shortest hallway on the third floor."

"Oh."

"Do either of those places mean something to you?" he asked, eying Bella through the rearview mirror.

"I lived on three," she explained. "Always on three."

"In the small hallway?"

"That was Vicky's hallway," she divulged softly. "Never mine."

Costner let it go and focused on driving instead.

The ride was long and boring, especially during morning traffic, but eventually we were out of the city and into more rural areas, very close to the wildest parts of the Arizona desert. I didn't see how a hospital could be concealed out here, but my answer was given to me when I saw the road we were turning down.

Literally _down._

"It was well concealed," said Costner gently, no doubt noticing me from the mirror. "Hidden in a valley."

"What was it originally?" I asked.

"A psychiatric hospital," said Costner. "It was built in 1892 to house people with developmental or mental illnesses."

Bella shivered beside me.

"It was decommissioned in 1960, and after that it was set to be demolished, but was pushed to the back burner. It was purchased by a wealthy businessman in the 70s, and was then sold to Dupont in the early 90s, though he used a false name, of course. I'm sure everyone here knows what it was used for from 1999 on."

Bella leaned her head on my shoulder and sighed, watching the landscape change to accommodate the growing desert rift.

More like canyon, if you asked me.

We drove in relative silence for a little while longer, and before I would've expected, a large, imposing building appeared to our right. My sister shook in her seat, eyes glued to the decrepit, eerie edifice that had once been her home.

"You okay?" I asked softly, gaining Rosalie's attention. Everyone's eyes flickered to Bella as she took in the sight of her old hell, her eyes sad and glassy.

She didn't answer my question.

Adrian Costner watched Bella closely as he pulled into a makeshift parking spot, turning the car off and waiting. I opened my door first, climbing out into the hot Arizona air, waiting for Bella to make the next move.

She stayed stock still, taking in the sight for a while longer. Rosalie climbed out next, followed by Carlisle and the agent, no one breaking the tense silence as we waited for Bell to be ready.

"Is she alright?" asked Adrian gently, speaking very softly to Carlisle.

"I don't know."

"If she needs to leave, there's no pressure to go in," said Costner urgently. "Nothing like this is worth her getting sick."

"I don't think her heart's in danger," said Carlisle softly. "I'm worried about her mind right now."

Costner looked ready to retaliate, but Bella stopped him by exiting the vehicle, closing the door behind her.

"Can I go in now?" she asked, her voice thin and thread. She sounded close to tears.

"If you want to," said Adrian gently. "There's no pressure."

Bella ignored his last statement, stepping forward to approach the door. She reached it quickly, all four of us hot on her heels, letting her make the first move. When we reached the old, rusted door, Bella rested her hand on the handle, taking a deep breath before she pulled it open. The sound of the creaking metal added a certain spookiness to the already uncomfortable ambiance, but I pushed down the discomfort and followed Bella into the bowels of the hospital.

It was dark and hard to see after the sun blindness we were experiencing, but as moments passed, my sight began to return.

"Jesus Christ."

The entire building was decrepit and unsound—staircases leading up and down were falling apart, there was mold on the walls and ceiling, the wallpaper was peeling, the floors squeaked and the whole lobby seemed to echo our own voices back to us. The only unnatural light came from Agent Costner's flashlight.

He kindly gave it to Bella, letting her look where she wanted.

"Three," she said softly, glancing to the alarmingly unsound staircase. "I'm going to three."

Of course she was.

She darted off at a jog to the stairs, forcing all four of us to dash after her, making sure she didn't trespass into forbidden, dangerous areas or get herself hurt. In a very Bella-like way, she stumbled on the stairs, catching herself before she fell.

"Careful, honey," warned Carlisle gently, helping her back up. "If you get hurt in here, we'll have to go straight to the hospital."

Bella, knowing her immunosuppressants would make her susceptible to illness, took his words to heart and walked the rest of the way up, the loud footsteps echoing off of every possible surface.

It sounded as though a hundred ghostly feet followed after us.

"You'll need masks up here," said Adrian softly, reaching to a small lab-grade table on the left of the "Women's Wing" doorway, procuring high-grade surgical masks for our use.

"Why?" asked Bella, taking it with none too happy hands.

"Asbestos and mold," said Costner gently.

Bella donned the mask with a small grimace, snapping the elastic in place before she reached for the door, pushing it open as gently as she could.

Rosalie took her hand at the sound of her ragged, distressed breath, all of us looking around.

A long hallway faced us with a set of double doors at the end. I could see intersecting hallways branching off here and there along the way, and as we walked, more was revealed. We passed a large, windowless room, some smaller closet-sized rooms, some rooms with metal doors and finally, a large, long room lined with windows.

Bella was in tears by the time we reached the end, and she turned to me.

"The ward," she said sadly, looking around at the high ceilings and grimy windows. "We slept here." Before my mind could formulate a proper response, she moved away from me to stand near the wall to the left, right beside one of the tall windows.

"Is that where you slept?" asked Carlisle gently, his voice betraying more emotion than his face.

"I had a bed here," she said sadly, pointing to the right spot. "Betty was there, and Gino, and Anna…"

The list went on as Bella pointed to various spots in the room.

I didn't know what to say, so wisely, I kept quiet.

"What are you looking at?" asked Carlisle softly, watching Bella stare out the window.

"I saw a dog once," she said softly, pointing to the hard, desert sand below. "There."

"Like Jake?"

"No, a small dog," she said gently. "He was little and the Doctor made him go away."

"Shall we move on?" asked Costner tactfully, sensing a terrible story regarding the end of the dog's life in our imminent future. "Is there anything else you'd like to see in here?"

"No," said Bella simply. "This was the happier place."

"Happier?" I asked, aghast.

"Yeah, happier. The Doctor didn't come into the ward much." Very abruptly, Bella turned on her heel and left the ward behind, taking care to close the door behind her. When we were back out in the hallway again, she was wiping her eyes.

It was almost as if she was leaving a piece of herself behind those doors, and I wasn't sure she'd ever get it back.

"My room was here," she said softly, walking further down the hallway. She reached one of the rooms with a metal door, opening it up to expose a metal-walled room with half green, half white walls. It was about the size of a closet, with a harsh, metal floor to complete the look.

"Your room?" asked Rose softly, taking a tentative step inside. Bella, to my surprise, refused to set foot in the room, settling for looking.

"There was a mat on the floor," she said softly, looking at Costner. "A blue one."

"I remember," he said sadly, taking a deep breath. "This is where I found you."

"Oh. I don't remember."

Bella looked quite morose now, and I worried she was overexerting herself.

I didn't like this place, and as soon as she was ready, I was out of here.

"I cut my foot," said Bella shakily. "I cut my foot…"

"Bella?" asked Carlisle, stepping closer to her.

"I cut my foot," she repeated.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, confused and pitying.

"I cut my foot and Felix got mad," she whispered, taking a step away from that room. "I said I was sorry…"

Then she really started to cry and I saw a tense understanding fall over my father, and I grew anxious when I was left out of the loop. He pulled her into a tight, protective hug and let her cry outside of this dank, smelly old cell, and I tried with all my might to fit the pieces together.

Even Rosalie seemed to understand, and was looking particularly green.

"What?" I whispered, turning to her for answers. She glanced at me, looking torn between irritation and confusion, sighing heavily. Against the advice of our FBI agent, she tore the mask from her face, looking at me fully.

"That's where he…" she said, trailing off. "You know…"

"No…" As the word escaped me, realization came and I felt my heart rate speed up.

That's where _Felix_ had…

Fuck him.

"Bell, come here," I urged, pulling her away from my father. Carlisle let her go with little hesitation and she stiffened slightly, holding off.

I hugged her anyways, ignoring the pang of sadness that hit me when she feared my rejection.

"_Not_ your fault," I reminded her. "You did _nothing_ wrong."

"I want to go down there now," she whispered thickly, pointing down the hall. "I don't want to look here anymore."

"Go wherever you want to," I urged. "You can walk right out of here if you want."

"Not yet."

Of course not.

She walked a little ways down the hallway, looking hesitant, before she turned off to the right, disappearing down another hallway.

"Is that one safe?" I asked urgently, rushing after her. Costner didn't look concerned, so I took it as a yes, following my sister into one of the creepiest places I'd seen yet.

An old, worn-down kitchen. There were grills, deep-fryers, ovens, stoves, a refrigerator and various other pieces of equipment, but even when Bella reached instinctively for the light switch, turning on the fluorescents, the mood in the room didn't lift. The place looked _haunted._

Bella had nothing to say about this self-explanatory room, but took one good look around before she turned away, moving on down the bending hallway.

"They lived here," said Bella gently, pointing to the closed doors on either side. "Felix, Laurent, Doctor, closet, office."

No one spoke a word, but I saw Costner's face darken at the mention of the Doctor.

"Did you come here often?" I asked gently, looking at the bare walls and wooden doors.

"No."

She left it at that.

"Where to next?" asked Costner gently. "The conference room?"

"The what?" asked Bella, confused.

"We named it the conference room," said Costner gently. "The big room off of the nurse's station."

"The counseling room," she corrected with a shiver. "Counseling, not conference."

"The counseling room," he corrected agreeably. "Do you want to see what's in there?"

"Not really," she divulged. "But I guess I should."

"Don't do anything you don't want to do," I said harshly. She glanced over at me with an inscrutable look in her eyes.

"I have to go there," she said decisively. "Whether I want to or not."

I was about to argue, but dad's hand on my arm quieted me.

"Let her go," he advised gently. "We'll be out of here soon."

Not soon enough.

Bella led the way through the bendy hallway one more, leading us almost to the doors of the ward, but turning right this time instead of going straight. Here, we found an open space with three doors branching off in various places. Bella chose the center door and opened it with more confidence than I could've mustered, opening the door and stepping inside.

Furniture remained and Bella's eyes immediately fell on the corner, where, to my disgust, I saw an array of smaller pieces.

A little wooden table with a matching chair, a ragged doll and a little tin of marbles.

"They were mine," she said in a whisper, approaching the abandoned pieces with great caution. I watched with misty eyes as she picked up the small doll, holding it in one hand as she placed it on the table.

"I named her Girl," she said.

"Why Girl?" asked Carlisle softly. "Why not a real name?"

"I didn't know any names but mine," she said gently. "And Betty's and Anna's and the others'."

Her words cut through me like a hot knife through butter, and I felt myself growing weaker and weaker as we stood.

When she turned to the final corner, where a plush chair was placed, I saw her eyes widen in fear.

"I'm done in here too." Without an explanation, she led us out onto the landing once more and turned to the first door, looking very hesitant.

"Done?" asked Carlisle gently. "Or do you want to go in there?"

She pushed the door open and stood as far back as possible, rushing to flick the light on before she darted backwards once more.

I knew what it was as soon as I saw it, and so did Carlisle, by the looks of things.

A sterile, white-tiled procedure room, with open cupboards from the FBI ransack. A long, metal table sat in the center, it's wheels locked and bolted to the floor, leather restraints hanging down from the four corners.

Bella _hated_ leather.

"Bella?" asked Carlisle sadly, watching as she took a tentative step inside, breathing deeply.

"This is where he burned."

Tears fell over at those words, and I immediately turned away and took a few steps back. Bella, oblivious to my discord, went on observing the room before she rushed backwards, as if she'd been shocked, and slammed the door closed.

"I want to go now. I'm done now, Carlisle, I want to go."

Her words were spoken through a thick veil of tears and as quickly as she could speak, Carlisle had her drawn into another hug and was gently leading her away from this terrible place.

"I'll next see you in two days," said Costner softly, resting a reassuring hand on Bella's back. "I'll be meeting you in the courtroom lobby."

"Okay," she choked out.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked.

"She will be," assured Carlisle softly. "We'll make sure of it."

We reached the lobby of this _Institute_ with relative ease, considering Carlisle had to half-carry my sister down the stairs, lest she fall and break her neck. When we got out into the heat once more, we found that someone else had driven out with a van instead of a car, and for that, I was grateful.

The driver was another agent, a female, and after we said our quick goodbyes to Costner, we all climbed into the new vehicle.

Bella climbed right on into the back, letting Rosalie climb in next to her with soothing, quiet words. Carlisle sat in the front, leaving me with the middle row all to myself.

Agent What's-Her-Face didn't seem to care too much that I wrapped the seatbelt around my back, letting me turn to sit against the door and observe Boo.

"You did good," I heard Rose say. "So good, Bella."

"I want to go home," she cried, loud enough for Carlisle and the agent to hear. The woman—a blonde haired, blue eyed, very gentle-looking girl, looked very sympathetic.

"I know," said Rose gently. "Shh." She ran her hand down Bella's hair in a soothing way, trying to calm her down. It seemed as though now, after all the stress, Bella was finally letting the emotion loose she'd so obviously repressed during our walk-through.

Much to my dismay, Bella cried all the way back to our hotel, where the agent was kind enough to call ahead and gain us access to the back doors, where Bella could avoid being seen in shambles by the ever-present media. The hotel manager met us personally and assured we made it to our rooms without incident, and once he was certain of his success, he left us alone. Once in the room, Bella moved to her bed and laid down on it, letting the pillow take the brunt of her tears.

She didn't seem panicked, but genuinely sad.

Carlisle helped with her shoes and sunglasses, making sure they were in their proper place before he turned to her, sitting on the edge of the small bed.

"Do you want an Ativan?" he asked gently, ever-composed.

"I want Esme!" she wailed sadly, keeping her face pushed into the pillows.

"Esme's in Washington, honey," he reminded her. "You'll see her in a few days."

She cried more, and I knew she was beyond consolation.

"Hey now…" said Carlisle softly, trying hard not to let his own emotion through. "You did very well today."

"I want to go home…"

"Soon," he promised. "What do you say we call home?"

"I want to _go _home," she repeated.

"Come here."

"I want Alice."

"Come here, honey."

Carlisle's hands slipped under her arms and he helped her sit upright, pulling her in for another hug. I watched any fight go right out of her and as the minutes ticked by, Bella grew calmer and calmer until eventually, she stopped crying.

"Are you alright now?" asked dad softly, pulling back to look her in the eyes.

"Yeah."

"Do you want an Ativan?"

"No thank you."

"You'll need one before bed," he warned, glancing at the clock. "Are you sure you don't want one now and you could take a nap?"

"No thanks," she said again, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Any makeup she'd applied this morning had been washed away, and now resided on her hands and Carlisle's shirt.

"Come on and we'll get cleaned up," suggested Rose gently.

Bella needed a girl, and Rose was readily available. The two moved to the bathroom without much said between them, though when the door was securely closed and locked, the gentle hum of voices could be heard on the outside.

"Well, that was a fucking sight," I sighed, sitting back in my seat. Carlisle looked reproachful at my language, but said nothing to rebuke me.

"That was horrible," he said darkly. "What sort of person keeps anyone, much less a little girl, in a place like that?"

I had plenty of adjectives to describe that sort of man, but knowing it would only upset my father more, I kept them to myself.

"…maybe some PJs?" I heard Bella's voice say. Only a moment later, the bathroom door opened and Rosalie snatched the pajamas from the dresser, even if it was only just the beginning of the afternoon.

The door closed and locked again.

"I'd like to spend the night with Bella," said Carlisle gently, watching the door very carefully for signs of movement. "I don't want her having nightmares with me not there."

"She's not going to have nightmares," I scoffed, ignoring my fearfulness.

"She very well might have nightmares," corrected dad gently. "That was more traumatic than you or I could ever realize."

"So what?" I asked. "You want us to switch beds?"

"If you're amenable," he said gently. "If not, I could ask Rosalie to switch with me."

"No, no, it's fine," I said quickly, glancing to the bathroom once more. "Whatever's best."

"This is best," he assured me. "You and Rose need to be well-rested."

"So do you and Bell," I said reasonably. "You can't expect to lose sleep right before the trial."

"Oh, I fully expect to lose sleep before this trial starts," he said ominously. "I'd just rather be there to administer her medication instead of the entire group of us waking me up to do it anyways. We might as well let you two sleep if you can."

His logic was sound, but my reason was a little off. If Bella had nightmares, I wanted to know.

I wanted to _help._

"Now, I trust you and Rosalie are able to cohabitate for a few nights without cause for concern?" he asked, his brow raised.

"Of course we can," I said, scandalized. "What do you think we are, rabbits?"

"Well, sometimes I'm not too sure," he joked mischievously. "I _have _wondered…"

"You're gross, old man," I crowed, laughing in my chair as the bathroom door opened once more, and both girls came out.

Bella looked cleaned and comfy with her face washed, her hair tossed back and her pajamas on.

"You get to bunk with dad tonight," I informed her, turning to wink at Rosalie.

"You're gross," complained Bella softly, grimacing as she observed me.

"Oh, you don't know the_ half_ of it, little girl…" I teased.

Rose shut me up with a smack to the back of the head as she moved back to her own bed, looking to dad for answers instead of me.

"If there's any issues at night, I want to be close by," he explained gently. "You two need to sleep too, and there's no use everyone waking if only two of us have to."

Bella's cheeks flamed red, but she didn't comment.

We all jumped when Bella's cell phone rang, its shrill tone sounding through the room. I'm sure everyone saw the screen name before Bella's eyes lit up, and she pressed talk.

"Hi Edward…"

"No," she said slowly, frowning. "We visited the Institute today."

And with that, Bella rushed off to the bathroom to talk to her boyfriend, and I was the only one left scowling in my seat.

**A/N: When Fanfiction stops blocking external links, I'll post a GoogleDocs link to the Institute map.**


	59. Chapter 58

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 58**

**A/N: Enjoy this chapter... it's unedited, but I thought you'd prefer to have it now rather than Monday, after editing. **

**IMPORTANT NOTE: this chapter is where we get to learn what the previously discussed "plot development" regarding Jasper and Rosalie is. You'll find out at the end. :) Some of you were spot on, others were dead wrong.**

_April 20, 2011_

BPOV

My shirt would _not _lie flat.

"Bella, come on! We've got to go!" called Carlisle softly, his knuckles tapping insistently on the door. "We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming!" I cried, my voice breaking as I looked myself over in the mirror.

My hair looked fine, my skirt was okay, my face was white as a sheet, but my shirt was still rumpled. I smoothed it angrily again, forcing the ripples to dissipate, but as soon as my hand moved, they came back.

"There's something wrong with this shirt!" I cried, discouraged. "It's wrong!"

"Let me see," said Carlisle softly. I unlatched the bathroom door and let him look.

"You look fine," he said softly. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"It's not flat!" I cried, gesturing to the rumples. "Look!"

"It's fine," he repeated easily. "You look very nice, Bella."

I was glad he thought so.

"Now come on, we're going to be late. Did you take your medicine?"

"Yes."

"Good," he said, checking his watch again. "We were due downstairs five minutes ago."

The car was coming to pick us up for the courthouse for the first of three trials.

I was trying not to think about it.

"Emmett! Rose!" called Carlisle, banging on the door to the room they were in. Emmett had taken over my bed ever since we visited the Institute two days ago, and Carlisle feared I'd have a panic attack at night.

He was right, though only once, but I was glad he was close by to help.

Emmett and Rose's door opened and I saw both dressed nicely, Emmett in a suit and Rosalie in a modest dress.

Court was dress-up time, it would seem.

"We're late," said Rosalie grimly.

"I know." Carlisle wasted no time in ushering everyone from the room, ensuring the door was locked before we went to the elevator. Once in the lobby, we found one of Agent Costner's men waiting for us, glancing at the clock.

"Ready?" he asked softly.

"We're ready," said Carlisle gently. "Come on, Bella."

I saw cameras and news people outside the hotel, and was very glad when the new agent led us through the back door instead. They were trying, though rather unsuccessfully, to keep the details of this trial confidential and quiet until the verdicts were given later this year.

In the summer, I was told, was when we could expect to hear back from the jury.

"Is Marcus going to be there?" I asked quietly as we all moved into the back of the vehicle.

"He texted me not ten minutes ago to tell me he'd just arrived," said Carlisle softly. "Agent Costner's there as well, as well as your case worker."

"Who's my case worker?"

"Her name's Emily," he said gently. "She's a social worker."

Danielle's face flooded my memory and I sat back, displeased.

"She works for the FBI as well," he said gently. "She does what Danielle did, just more professionally."

"Emily's wonderful," said the man in the front seat. "She's there to act on your behalf should anything happen that's not in your best interests."

"Like what?" I demanded, a flood of anxiety hitting me.

"Emily won't let it get that far," soothed the agent. "That's why she's there."

I wasn't reassured.

"Carmen's there too," said Carlisle gently. "As well as Eleazar."

"Oh."

Heart and head doctors.

"I'll say my piece as well," said Carlisle gently. "Your testimony will only likely happen later this week."

"Then why do I have to go?" I asked sadly.

"Because we don't know exactly when you'll be called, and it'll stop you from wondering what's happening," he explained. "This is a very important day."

"Oh."

"You'll do just fine," assured Carlisle. "You'll be great."

"Where do we sit?" I asked worriedly.

"You and I will sit together in the front, where the witnesses sit. Emmett and Rosalie will sit behind us."

I wished Emmett was sitting with us too.

"Marcus, Eleazar and Carmen will sit with us as well," he explained gently. "You'll be fine."

I'd be fine.

The agent turned the big black SUV down a new road, and much to my dismay, there was a media zoo outside. I slumped down in my seat as people flooded closer to the vehicle, snapping photos and shouting questions.

"Will Victoria Hart be convicted?"

"Agent, how is the accused pleading?"

"Isabella, will you be taking the stand?"

_Isabella, Isabella, Isabella!_

"Take my hand, Bella," said Carlisle softly, just as I felt him press a soft kiss to my hair. My cheeks flamed red just as he opened the car door and stepped out, holding me close to his side. Emmett fell into stride on my other side, holding Rose's hand tightly.

Squished between Carlisle and Emmett, I made it safely into the lobby of the courthouse. The agent who was driving ushered reporters out of our way until we were right in the courthouse, the large, cavernous room almost as intimidating as the people outside.

They still shouted at us, even though they couldn't see or hear us.

"I'll find your lawyer," said the driving agent gently. "Wait right here."

The room smelled like paper and floor cleaner, and I didn't like it one bit. I saw men in suits as they passed by us, all on cell phones or talking gently amongst themselves. I curled in closer to Carlisle, hiding my face as best I could in his side, letting him run his hand up and down my back.

I hated this.

"Hey there, kiddo."

My head shot up and I couldn't help my smile as Marcus came forward, a wide smile on his face. He reached his hand out for a handshake, pulling me in for a hug when I took his hand.

"You'll be fine," he said. "Trust me."

I did trust him, but his words didn't help my anxiety.

"I'd like you all to come and meet Brandon," he said gently. "He's our prosecutor."

Brandon Noland, we'd been told, was the one who would put Vicky in jail.

"Brandon!" he called loudly, his voice echoing off the courtroom walls. A tall, dark-skinned man turned around at the noise and offered Marcus a smile, excusing himself from the group he was convening with.

He was big and tall, dressed in his blue suit, and I felt myself cringing away from him, as if on instinct.

"Hello, Miss Swan," he said formally, offering me a big, dark, hand.

"Hi." My hand was engulfed by his and almost as if he could sense my unease, he let me go quickly.

"I'm glad you could make it today," he said gently. "You're a great asset to this case."

"Oh."

Brandon Noland just laughed, turning his attention to Carlisle.

"You guys all ready?" he asked gently. "Shepherdson's going to have a heyday with the press."

Shepherdson, I'd been told, was the one trying to keep Vicky _out_ of jail.

"It won't make a difference," said Marcus dismissively. "The press doesn't make the verdict."

"It's still a nuisance," said Mr. Noland easily. "Just be ready."

"I'll take care of our press release," said Marcus confidently. "By the end of the day, there won't be a soul in America that doubts that woman's guilt."

Mr. Brandon Noland, the _prosecutor_, just smiled.

"We're ready for you now," said a tall gentleman. "You can all go and take your seats."

The doors to the courtroom opened and I felt a rush of lightheadedness as my anxiety came back full pin. Carlisle squeezed my hand in a steadying way and gently led me to the front of the courtroom. A few heads turned as we came in, but I was grateful that there were no cameras.

"Right up here," said the man gently. "Mr. and Miss Cullen sit here," he said, pointing Emmett and Rosalie into a bench. "Doctor Cullen and Miss Swan, here."

We sat right in front of them, and I was very relieved when Emmett squeezed my shoulders.

"Love you, Boo."

"Love you too," I replied gently, leaning my head back.

Moments later, Doctor Denali and Carmen were led in through another door, making their way over to us. Carmen made it to us first, sitting next to me with a gentle smile.

"Remember your breathing exercises," she said softly, "and don't let anything overwhelm you. If you need a recess, just ask—"

"I know," I said, taking the hand she offered me. She said a gentle hello to Carlisle, Rose and Emmett before Doctor Denali could get a word in.

"Nervous?" he guessed, smiling kindly at me.

"Yes," I said honestly. "A little."

"That's completely normal," he said gently. "You'll do wonderfully."

I was glad he thought so.

More and more people began to file in to the courtroom, and I felt my head turning to each and every one. Some looked like lawyers, some looked like family and one or two looked like reporters.

Still no cameras.

It was twenty minutes after I'd sat down that things really began to pick up, and I felt my blood pressure skyrocket.

A set of doors near the judge's seat opened wide and a procession of people began to file into the room, each taking their seats in their allocated chairs. There were men, women, young people and old people, all looking serious and contrite.

These were Vicky's jury.

"You're alright," said Carlisle softly again, as the realization hit me.

This was really happening, and it was happening _now._

The doors to the outside of the courtroom closed and I swallowed thickly, watching as the man at the back locked them tight.

_No intruders,_ I thought.

Another set of doors opened and much to my dismay, a skinny, blonde man emerged. Right behind him, I saw two armed police officers with a third in between them, handcuffed and shackled in what I assumed were her best clothes. Her skin was sallow and pale, sunken in, and her eyes downcast, but nothing, not even prison, could disguise the vivid red of her hair.

Vicky.

I felt sick and turned away from her as she sat down on the side opposite me, speaking in low tones with her lawyer.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Hopps," said the clerk, prompting everyone, including me, to stand. Out of a third door came a man dressed in black robes, old and serious.

He sat, and the rest of us followed.

"Court is now in session," he said, silencing any whispering observers. "Case number 2010-04-16-11, the people of the state of Arizona versus Victoria Hart. Charges include battery, possession of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, kidnapping, human trafficking, assault, crimes against a minor and accessory to murder."

Vicky's lawyer, the blonde man, stood up.

"How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty, your honour."

I let out a shaky breath resting my head against Carlisle's shoulder.

"Mr. Noland, are you prepared to make your opening statement?"

Mr. Noland, stood with grace and approached the jury, eyes shining with emotion.

"Your Honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Victoria Hart has adamantly insisted on her innocence since her apprehension in 2010. She insists that nothing was done of her own volition. She insists that all the crimes of which she's being accused were not of her own doing, but rather that she is a victim in the grand scheme of things. She will plead, cry, implore you to understand how she, a young woman from a broken home, is a true victim in this unfortunate situation. Victoria Hart is wrong. This woman sitting before you is a person deserving of the full punishment for her actions. Not only is she an admitted drug dealer, she has participated in some of the cruelest acts this nation has seen against its weakened and disabled. Victoria Hart actively participated in the kidnapping and sale of human beings—people suffering from the worst kinds of mental health disorders. Victoria Hart took part in the kidnapping, abuse and neglect of a little six year old girl.

This is not a trial to allocate mercy to those guilty of unspeakable crimes. This is a trial to bring justice and peace of mind to those whose loved ones have gone through such hardships. It is to vindicate those who have been abused and mistreated at the hands of _this_ woman! It is to speak up for those who cannot—to punish Victoria Hart for stealing ten years of a little girl's life. I implore you to make the right decision, to convict the guilty and speak for those who can not."

The jury watched with studious, careful eyes as Mr. Noland turned to the judge and nodded respectfully, taking his seat next to some more professional people.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Mr. Noland has painted you a picture of true evil. The law clearly outlines that to be guilty of a crime, one must be guilty in both their actions and their mind. Miss Hart has clearly done things she's grown to regret, but as Mr. Noland has falsely accused, Miss Hart was never acting of her own volition. How would you feel, trapped in the Arizona desert with two able-bodied men? How would you feel, being trapped in a dingy old hospital with no one to help you but a little girl and the mentally deficient? Victoria Hart herself was abused at the hands of her captor- James Dupont."

A picture came up on a screen when he pressed a button, and I recognized Vicky's black eye from the Institute.

Gino had thrown his breakfast at her face, and he had good aim.

"Abuse, fear, neglect and desolation—all reasons why Miss Hart was stuck in her situation. Over the course of this trial, I beg of you to see reason. Distribute punishment where punishment is due, but do _not_ force this woman to suffer any more than she already has."

I was bubbling with rage by the end of his speech, my eyes spilling over as I wiped them angrily. Carmen squeezed my hand and slid me a tissue, letting me blot the tears away before I grew hysterical.

She was such a liar, and so was her sleazy attorney.

"The prosecution may bring forth its first witness," said Judge Hopps, his voice betraying no emotion. The jury paid very close attention.

"Nicole Cramer," said Mr. Noland softly, gesturing to a soft-looking African-American woman.

She the lady I'd met on Betty's hospital floor, and she walked up in her high heels and took a seat in the stand, looking ready to speak. She spoke some ceremonial words and acknowledged that she was "under oath", and seemed very calm.

"Miss Cramer, what do you do for a living?" asked Noland.

"I'm a registered nurse at Phoenix Memorial Hospital."

"Which floor do you work on?"

"The fifth floor."

"What is your area of expertise?"

"I work on the mental health ward."

"The mental health ward," said Noland gently. "Do you see many patients in your practice?"

"A fair few," she said gently.

"Are all of your patients mentally ill?"

"Yes sir," she said gently. "Some are worse off than others."

"Can you identify this woman?"

Much to my surprise, he held up a picture of Betty.

"Roberta White," said Nicole gently. "She was a patient of ours."

"Was?"

"Her sister came and transferred her to a facility somewhere in Canada just last week."

"How long was Roberta White a patient at Phoenix Memorial?

"Almost a year," she said gently. "She came in last April."

"Do you know where she was transferred from?"

"She had no transfer papers. She was brought in by ambulance."

"Where had the ambulance picked her up?"

"Objection! She's not a paramedic."

"Overruled," said Judge Hopps. "Continue, Mr. Noland."

"Where had the ambulance picked her up, Miss Cramer?"

"At an abandoned building in the desert," she said softly. "The old mental facility."

"How did you know that they picked her up there?"

"She had a federal agent come in with her, carrying some papers," she explained. "They were all dated and signed."

"How old were these papers?"

"Quite old," said Nicole. "At least five years."

"And what did you find, when you read them?"

"A diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia with severe psychosis," she said, "as well as a list of medications."

"What were those medications?"

"Risperdal, Ativan, Haldol and some in code."

"In code?"

"They were unreadable," she explained. "It seemed to me like they were homemade."

"Objection! Speculation!" cried Mr. Shepherdson.

"Stricken from the record," said Judge Hopps. "The jury will disregard Miss Cramer's last statement."

Mr. Noland was unperturbed.

"Miss Cramer, do you recognize this girl?" asked Mr. Noland.

"Yes."

I saw my own face staring back at me from a photograph as Mr. Noland flashed it to the jury.

"Can you name this person?"

"Isabella Swan," said Miss Nicole Cramer, Betty's kind, dark nurse.

"How do you know Isabella Swan?" he asked.

"She came in to visit Betty earlier this week," she said. "She's the only visitor Betty's ever had."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Isabella Swan was only six years old when she was taken from her temporary foster home in 2000 and brought to the abandoned hospital in the desert."

The jury bristled, and Mr. Noland continued.

"How was Miss White treated on the fifth floor of Phoenix Memorial Hospital?"

"She was treated with a regimen of strong antipsychotics and antianxiety medication, and daily therapy with a qualified psychiatrist. She also took part in exercise therapy in the courtyard."

"How did Miss White react to treatment?"

"She was very fearful at first," said Nicole. "She refused all treatments and had to be sedated. After a while, she seemed to warm up and started cooperating. She was doing very well, and I imagine she still is."

"Do you have an explanation for her hostility?"

"She often spoke of pins," said Nicole. "We found out later that she was talking about needles. Wherever she was held before she came to us, she was given a lot of needles. She became afraid of them."

Mr. Noland looked pleased, and that put me at ease.

"Miss Cramer, as a nurse, would it be part of your responsibilities and duties to ensure the comfort of your patients?"

"Of course."

"Would you be obligated, by law, to report any abuse or mistreatment?"

"Yes."

"Are these qualifications specific to your training, or would they apply to all nurses around America?"

"All of us," she responded promptly.

"Can you take a look at this paper for me?" he asked, handing Nicole a plastic bag with a single sheet of paper.

"Do you know what this is?"

"A nursing degree from the Texas Woman's University."

"And who earned this degree."

Nicole looked up, glancing towards the defense. I saw Vicky's head snap up as she listened for the answer.

"Victoria Hart."

"No further questions, Your Honour."

ooOoo

The defense tore Nicole Cramer apart, and as I watched them whither her down, I felt a pang of fear when I thought of my own upcoming testimony. They kept her on the stand for almost forty five minutes, yelling at her and trying to cut her statements down.

She held up wonderfully, but I knew the defense had gotten some points of their own.

"No further questions, Your Honour," said Shepherdson, once he felt he'd said his piece.

"Do you have another witness?" asked Judge Hopps, looking to Mr. Noland.

Marcus nudged Carlisle gently, and my anxiety rose up again as they called his name.

"Doctor Carlisle Cullen."

Emmett's hand discreetly rested on my shoulder, and I felt his breath on my head.

"He'll be fine," he assured me in a quiet, almost inaudible whisper.

Carlisle was sworn in, and his questioning began.

"Mr. Cullen, what do you do for a living?" asked Mr. Noland.

"I'm a doctor at Forks Memorial Hospital in Washington," he said.

He sounded strong and certain, and I hoped they'd be kind to him.

"What did you focus on in medical school?"

"Surgery."

"In which area of the hospital do you work in?"

"I work in the ER and the operating room," he said softly. "Trauma cases, mostly."

"How did you, a doctor from Washington, become entangled in this criminal hearing?"

"In 2000, my wife and I took in two newly-orphaned children," he began. "They had lived in Seattle until their parents were killed in a traffic accident. Esme and I were next on the list for foster kids."

"Esme?"

"My wife."

"Very good, Doctor Cullen. What happened after the children were brought to you?"

"We learned that the two had a younger sister," he explained. "We'd heard nothing about her until then."

"What were the names of those children?"

"Emmett and Alice Swan."

"And did you learn the name of their sister?"

"Isabella Swan."

The jury paid close attention.

"What happened after Alice and Emmett settled in your home?"

"My wife and I began searching for Bella," he explained. "We called social services and were able to get some information. They told us that she'd been transferred to a group home in Tucson."

"Arizona?"

"Yes."

"Why so far?" he asked. "Surely there were homes in Washington for little Isabella?"

"We were told it was a clerical error," he said softly. "Children are supposed to be kept in state, if at all possible."

"Yes. Was social services able to locate Isabella in her group home?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"The group home had been shut down," he said. "We only received word of the group home after years of searching and inquiring."

"Children's records are very hard to track," said Mr. Noland, for the benefit of the jury. "There's quite a lot of red tape to go through."

Carlisle nodded in agreement.

"What happened when you found the group home?"

"We learned of its closing, and we learned that Isabella Swan had once again fallen off the radar."

"You had no idea where she was? Social services didn't know?"

"No one knew," said Carlisle sadly. "Only the ones who were with her in that Institution knew."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Victoria Hart was present in that Institution from the very first day Isabella arrived." He procured another piece of evidence—a physical examination sheet dated from August 2000, declaring that Vicky had found six year old little me to be reasonably healthy.

"Victoria Hart knowingly kept a scared, kidnapped little girl from her rightful family in Washington."

The jury remained stoic.

"Can you explain to me what happened on June 8, 2010?" asked Mr. Noland.

"My wife and I received a phone call from the federal police in Arizona informing us that Isabella Swan had been located."

"What did you do then?"

"We made the proper arrangements for Isabella to be brought to our home in Washington."

"What did you discover when Isabella arrived at your home?"

Carlisle's eyes flicked briefly to mine before he spoke again, strong and steady.

"She was underweight, anxious and leery," said Carlisle. "She was terrified of me."

"Do you know why?"

"Blonde haired doctors frightened her."

"Why was that?"

"James Dupont was a blonde haired doctor. She associated all of his kind with cruelty."

"Indeed," said Mr. Noland sadly. "What exactly frightened Isabella in your home?"

"She was afraid of being mistreated," said Carlisle gently. "She was convinced one of my family would carry a stun gun."

At his words, I shivered, resting my head against Carmen's arm. Always gentle, she gave me a gentle squeeze.

"She thought one of your family would electrocute her?" asked Mr. Noland, not needing to feign his disgust.

"Yes."

"What information did you receive from Isabella about Victoria Hart?"

"A few months after she came to us, she grew thirsty for knowledge. She began researching the Institution and its employees and came across James Dupont's personal files."

"What was included in those files?"

"Personal information about the 'patients' he kept there."

"Was Victoria Hart implicated in any way?"

"Her name was on every one of them," said Carlisle fiercely. "Victoria assisted, Victoria administered, Victoria helped, Victoria did… Miss Hart's name is all over those files."

"Were these files able to be altered by the public?"

"No, they were password protected."

"How did Isabella know the proper password?"

"Observation and repetition," said Carlisle confidently. "She saw him type it more than once."

"Objection! Speculation!"

"Overruled."

"Doctor Cullen, do you have any training in cardiology?"

"Some," said Carlisle. "I know my fair share."

"Could you explain the term 'dilated cardiomyopathy'?"

"It's when the heart becomes enlarged," he explained softly. "It's a very serious condition."

"How does one acquire it?"

"It's either genetic or a result of drug abuse."

"Did either of Isabella's late parents suffer from heart disease?"

"No."

"Was Isabella a drug user?"

"No."

"Did Isabella contract dilated cardiomyopathy and require a heart transplant last September?"

"Yes."

My scar seemed to prickle.

"How then, Doctor Cullen, did Isabella acquire her heart condition?"

"It is the professional opinion of both myself and Isabella's cardiologist that the heart damage was sustained due to repeated exposure to prescription and experimental drugs."

"And, according to the papers written by James Dupont, who was responsible for administering those drugs?"

"James Dupont himself, Felix Franconelli and Victoria Hart."

"No further questions."

ooOoo

The defense was kinder to Carlisle, and couldn't refute much of his evidence. Being a doctor made him more knowledgeable than the stupid lawyer, and Carlisle's calm, confident answering left the defense lawyer spitting with rage by the end of his questioning.

Carlisle wasn't giving in to him.

The defense did, however, put their own witness on the stand—a doctor from Wyoming who claimed that my heart condition _could_ have been the result of pregnancy.

He claimed that if I was sexually active and pregnant, that my heart condition could've been caused by my own actions, not those of Vicky and the Doctor.

I didn't care much about him after Mr. Noland got a chance at him, since Mr. Noland got him to flip his words right around until no one could make sense of them.

The jury liked Carlisle better… I could see that.

The judge called a recess after that doctor testified, leaving Carmen and Eleazar for later..

"Court is in recess for an hour and a half," he announced, banging his gavel on the wooden placard. Lunch time was here, but I wasn't at all hungry.

"You did good, Carlisle," said Marcus encouragingly, slapping Carlisle on the back. I saw Mr. Shepherdson speaking quietly with Victoria, who looked nothing but distraught.

Good for her.

"Do you want to grab something from the lunch cart, Bella?" asked Emmett. They had a cart set up in the lobby for everyone, so no one would have to leave and face the media throng.

"No thanks," I said, knowing I'd be sick if I ate.

"You should eat, Bella," scolded Carlisle. "You need your strength."

"I'm strong enough," I protested. "I'll eat when we get out of here."

Carlisle didn't push it, even though Carmen was watching me like a hawk.

Victoria stood up from her place, the two armed policemen returning to her side. I watched with rising trepidation as she stepped closer and closer, no doubt going to eat her share of lunch.

Only when she looked up and met my gaze did I step back. At the advice of her lawyer, she said nothing to me, but when her eyes flicked up to my right, I saw her tremble.

"My God," she gasped, stopping dead. Marcus, who was speaking to Eleazar, fell silent and wheeled around, watching as Victoria stared.

I turned to see what she was looking at, and was confused to see Rosalie staring back at her, an indiscernible expression on her face.

"Rosie?" asked Victoria, her eyes brightening with tears. "Oh my God, Rosalie!"

Rosalie's face turned bone white before her cheeks flushed pink, eyes brightening as every pair of confused eyes in our party turned to her.

When her mouth finally opened and words spilled out, I thought I'd pass out right there on the courtroom bench.

"Aunt Vicky?"

**A/N: What do you think of that one? Was it what you were expecting? **

**Let me know!**


	60. Chapter 59

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 59**

**A/N: Enjoy the chapter... :) Please read the note at the end.**

BPOV

"Oh my God!" cried Vicky again, trying to pull her hands forward. Both armed guards tightened their grip on her, forcing her back, but it didn't change the deranged look of pleasure on her face.

Rosalie looked like a fish out of water, her eyes focused solely on Victoria's face, her mouth open. Emmett, growing anxious, glanced between Vicky and Rosalie, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Rose?"

"Miss Hale?" asked Agent Costner, stepping forth. "Is there a problem?" Carlisle also looked concerned as he glared at the prisoner, holding tight to Rose's shoulder.

"Sweetheart?"

"You've got to be fucking _kidding _me!" Rosalie's voice screeched out, echoing through the courtroom. "You fucking psycho _bitch!"_

And with that, Rosalie jerked out of Carlisle's grip and swiped her hand out, her palm colliding with Vicky's pale cheek. I watched as Victoria's head snapped to the side, her eyes widening in shock as Agent Costner pulled Rose back.

"Miss Hale-"

"You bitch!"

"Rose!"

I felt lightheaded.

"What did you _do?" _cried Rose. "My God, what have you _done!"_

Vicky's tears fell over, spilling down onto her cheeks as she avoided Rosalie's gaze, awkward and unsure.

"Answer me!"

"Miss Hale…" said Agent Costner, his voice firm and steady. "I think you should step back."

"I think you should shoot her in the goddamn face, but we can't always get what we want, can we?"

"Rose," said Marcus sternly. "Mind your language."

"Who is she, Rose?" asked Emmett. "What do you mean, aunt?"

I wanted _out._ Vicky was watching me, and I didn't like it.

"Carlisle…" My voice was too quiet, and he didn't hear me.

"I mean she's my mother's sister," snapped Rose impatiently.

Emmett had no words, and settled for turning his vicious gaze on Vicky.

"Fuck you, lady," he snarled. _"Fuck you."_

"I think we need to calm down," said Adrian Costner. "Will you please escort Miss Hart out?"

The armed guards nodded in curt assent and dragged Vicky with them out another door off of the courtroom, where they would probably feed her.

"Rose!" she cried. "Rosie!"

Rosalie looked away as they took Vicky, refusing to meet the deranged gaze that sought her out.

"Come on and get some lunch, kiddo," said Marcus suddenly, sidestepping an anxious Carlisle to take my hand. The grip was firm and familiar, and I went with him eagerly. Emmett shot me a fleeting glance before he turned to back to our stunned family, his loud voice booming through the doors.

"What the fuck was that?" he demanded angrily.

"Here Bella," said Marcus gently. He, having brought me to the food cart, held out a sandwich for me to eat, but I couldn't make myself take it.

"You need to eat, kiddo," he said gently. "We've still got a long day ahead of us."

"I don't want to," I argued. "I'm not hungry."

He didn't force me, but he kept the sandwich within my view. He checked his watch and sighed, growing antsy as Carlisle and the others remained in the courtroom.

I was overwhelmed—there were too many emotions at once. I didn't know what to feel, and I just wanted to _sleep._

"Miss Swan?"

One of Adrian's agents knelt down to my level in front of me, assessing me carefully.

"You won't be testifying today," he said softly. "If you'd like, I can have a car brought to take you back to your hotel."

I heard his words, but I couldn't make them compute. I didn't know what I wanted…

"Bella," said Carlisle's voice, his footsteps loud and quick as he exited the courtroom. "Are you alright, honey?"

I looked up at him, frowning, and shrugged, unsure how I should answer him.

"Are you eating?" he asked. "It's lunchtime…"

"I want to go," I blurted, my mouth speaking for me. "Please, I want to go…"

"Alright," he soothed gently. "I think Rosalie was planning on leaving anyways."

Rosalie. Vicky's _niece._

"We'll head on back to the hotel, then," said Carlisle. "You need to eat, though."

"I'm not hungry."

He didn't comment.

"Emmett! Rosalie! We're leaving," he called, turning to face his other children. Both heads were bent in conversation, Rosalie's face hidden from me. Emmett looked concerned, but I didn't have the presence of mind to care. Without much thought, he wrapped Rose up in a hug and led her closer to us, her eyes red and watery.

The moments after that were a blur to me—we were led to the FBI car, media shouted at me, reporters shouted at Rosalie, as they had heard her shouting in the courtroom. They wondered what she knew.

They wondered why she was upset.

"Clear the area!" cried another agent. "Let them through!"

"Isabella, have you given your testimony yet?"

"Isabella, have you spoken to Victoria?"

"Isabella…?"

"Look here!"

"My clients have no comments to make at the present time," said Marcus' voice from behind me. "Thank you! Excuse us!"

"Isabella!"

"Doctor Cullen!"

"Are you her brother?"

"Miss Swan!"

"Make them stop!" I cried angrily as I was almost lifted into the vehicle. "Please, make them stop…"

"Sorry kiddo," said Marcus. "They'll die down eventually."

They shouted at us even after we were in the vehicle, and once we drove away the awkwardness set in.

I leaned away from Rosalie.

"Bella?"

...

"Oh, God…" she moaned sadly, resting her head on the window. "Come on, Bella."

I turned to look at her. Rosalie had blonde hair that was nothing like Vicky's, but her big blue eyes suddenly looked very familiar…

"_Please, _Bella, don't do this," she begged softly. Emmett watched our interaction closely, eyes flickering between the two of us. Carlisle kept quiet in the front, his eyes on the road and our FBI driver.

I couldn't _not_ do this.

"Bella, please…" she said softly. I continued to stare out the window, trying to reconcile the warring feelings inside me.

This was _Rosalie._

This was Vicky's _niece._

Rose loved me.

Vicky hated me.

Rosalie was _here._

Vicky was _gone._

Rose loved Emmett…

Emmett loved me.

Carlisle loved her.

_Vicky_ loved her.

"Ah, come on, Boo," said Emmett gently, pulling me in for a hug. "It's just Rosie."

_Rosie, Rosie, Rosie._

I started to cry.

"Shit, Bell… come on. Don't cry…"

"Leave her be, Emmett," scolded Carlisle. "She's processing. It's a lot to take in."

Emmett listened, and I tried as best I could to staunch my tears. Marcus, having snuck into the back of the vehicle, let out a loud sigh.

"Care to explain what's going on?" he asked gently. "Rosalie?"

"She's my mother's sister," repeated Rose dutifully.

"Your mother?"

"Her name's Lillian," she said. "Her maiden name was Hart."

Vicky Hart.

"And you didn't know that your aunt was our suspect until just now?" he asked skeptically.

"No."

She didn't elaborate, and I didn't believe her.

"No?"

"I didn't think…" she started, trailing off. "God, I never thought it was _her!"_

"What do you mean?" asked Marcus. "Who did you think it was?"

"Not her!" she cried again. "I never saw her face before today."

Vicky's face had been withheld from the media, to protect the interests of the case and the public. They didn't need a media zoo outside her prison, posing a threat to both the prison inmates and the general public.

Media meant security problems, security problems meant escape.

…or something like that.

And identifying Vicky on TV, agent Costner had said, could affect me. If the media got pictures of Vicky, they could get pictures of me from the Institute too.

I was a minor, and I was protected. My best interest, I'd been told, came before the media's thirst for knowledge.

"The name Victoria Hart didn't ring a bell?" he asked skeptically.

"Are you accusing her of something?" asked Carlisle tensely, turning to face Marcus in the back. "I swear to God, Marcus, family or not…"

"I'm not accusing anyone of anything," he retorted quickly. "I just want to know what's going on."

"Victoria is Rosalie's biological aunt," said Carlisle quickly. "What else do you want to know?"

"How she didn't know before today," he said angrily. "That woman's name's been plastered all over the news!"

"Does it matter why she didn't know?" asked Carlisle. "Will it hurt the case?"

"If the defense gets ahold of it, it might."

"Why?"

"It questions her credibility," he began, "and in turn, your ability to parent your kids."

"Carlisle's a fine parent, thank you very much," snarked Emmett.

"_I_ know that," growled Marcus. "The defense doesn't care. They_ need _to discredit Carlisle as best they can_"P"Pease_. And one daughter who lies to authorities is suggestive of another…"

His eyes turned to me, and I purposely turned away from him.

"I didn't know it was her until I saw her face," said Rosalie shakily. "I haven't seen that woman since I was six years old."

"When did you last see her?"

"Jasper's fifth birthday," she said quickly. "She bought him some Sesame Street toy and some books."

"Where did she go?"

"No idea," said Rosalie. "Whoever she was seeing moved, and she went with him."

"She was _seeing_ James Dupont, Rosalie," said Marcus curtly, no longer suspicious. "He moved to Arizona in 1996."

Rose looked green. I _felt _green.

"Enough of this for now," said Carlisle sternly. "We're here."

The hotel looked quiet and calm, but everyone knew that the news vans were parked nearby. The driver brought us to the back of the hotel, where the manager let us in and promised to leave us undisturbed. The five of us—Emmett, Carlisle, Rosalie, Marcus and myself—made our way up to our rooms, where everyone was ushered into what was originally mine and Rosalie's room.

"Sit," said Carlisle softly, pointing me to the sofa.

I wanted to go to bed.

"What happened today," he began, "was unexpected. Bella, I sincerely hope you're not blaming Rosalie for Victoria's sins."

I couldn't stop my racing heart, and though he looked calm, I knew he knew the truth.

I couldn't_ not_ connect the two. They were the same.

_Same, same, same…_

I felt a set of arms snatch me right up and I instinctively leaned into them, only stiffening when I realized those arms belonged to Rose.

"I'm sorry," she said gently, resting her cheek on my head. "I'm so sorry for what she did, but please believe me when I say that I'm _not her._ I'd never…"

She let the sentence trail.

"Never," she repeated. "I'd never do what she's done. Not ever."

I shivered and waited for her to release me, but she never did.

"Please don't be scared," she begged. "I know how scared you are of her, and I don't want this to ruin anything. I'll do whatever I can to prove it to you… I'm _not _her!"

As I sat stiffly in Rose's arms, my mind began to wander. Rosalie hugging me, Vicky hurting me, Rosalie laughing, Vicky shouting… Rose and Emmett, Vicky and the Doctor.

I didn't know what to think.

ooOoo

EmPOV

"She _hates _me."

I glanced over at my sleeping sister, my mind going a hundred miles an hour as I tried to process everything we'd had thrown at us today. Through we'd planned on staying in the courtroom until later tonight, when they adjourned for the day, the reality of who Victoria was slapped us hard, and we all knew Bella needed out of there.

Victoria scared the fuck out of her, Rosalie made her uneasy, she was tired and she was out of it.

It was a tough day all around.

"She doesn't hate you," I said, unable to keep the scorn from my voice. "She hates your aunt."

Rosalie gave me the stink-eye.

"That woman is _nothing_ to me," she growled.

Yeah, she'd said that before. I was trying not to be angry—I knew it wasn't Rosalie's fault that her aunt was a psychopath—but I found it hard to reconcile with the fact that it was _true._

I couldn't blame Rosalie, though… seeing how upset she was, how _angry_ she'd been in the courtroom, I knew there was no love between them.

"Both of you, stop it," said Carlisle curtly. "There's no point in fighting."

"I need to call home," said Rosalie softly, repeating what she'd been asking for over an hour.

Carlisle was reluctant.

"Do you really think that Jasper wants to hear this over the phone?" he asked gently. "Wouldn't it be better to tell him in person?"

"I heard about it in the courtroom," argued Rose. "He can hear it over the telephone. He'd be more upset if no one told him."

Carlisle didn't protest anymore, but he kept his dubious gaze on her. Rose, hearing his silence on the matter, snatched her cell phone from the table and darted to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

"He's going to be upset," predicted Carlisle again. "She should wait…"

"He has a right to know," I argued. "Not telling him is worse."

His dubious gaze turned to me.

"I think he deserves to hear it from her face," said Carlisle. "We should be telling him face-to-face."

But we couldn't, could we?

"We're stuck here until Bell testifies," I said sadly. "I hope that's soon."

"It should be," Marcus cut in. "She'll probably be called tomorrow."

Hopefully… the faster Bella gave her testimony, the faster we could get back to Forks.

…and start all over again next month.

"No, she's sleeping…" The bathroom door opened and Rosalie stepped out, her eyes rimmed red from crying. "She just fell asleep, Jazz…"

"I will," she said sadly. "You want dad?"

Rosalie listened for a brief moment before she held the phone out to Carlisle, who took it with a gentle hand.

"She's had a rough day, son…"

"You okay?" I asked gently, taking Rose's hand as soon as she was close enough. "Is he upset?"

"More sad than angry, I think," she sighed. "He wants to talk to her."

Yeah, didn't we all?

"She doesn't hate you, Rosie."

"She does," Rose groaned sadly. "She looks at me, and I _know_ she sees _her."_

"She'll get over it soon," I said gently. "She's just seeing the connection now."

"So am I!" she cried softly. "You think I _knew_ that Bella's Vicky was my aunt?"

"No, of course not," I said, "but that doesn't change the fact that _Bella_ just found that out. She's petrified of that woman."

"I know…" Rose lamented sadly. "It just hurts."

"I know."

"I'm _not_ Victoria," she said. "I'm not my mother and I'm not my father."

"No, you're not."

"When will _she_ know that? How long will it take for her to realize that I'm _not _her?"

"I don't know, babe…" I answered softly. "Not too long, I hope."

"You're _not_ Vicky."

Both of our heads swiveled around to the little girl under the covers.

"I _do _know that," said Bella gently, snuggling deeper into the covers. "It's just…"

"Just what, Boo?"

"It scared me," she admitted. "I saw her, and then I saw you, and… it just…"

"I'm _not_ my aunt, Bella," said Rosalie gently. "I don't want this to ruin our friendship."

Bella assessed her with her cautious eyes, holding her stare for a while longer. Sensing no dishonesty from her, I saw Bella relax into the pillows and close her eyes once more.

"I'm sorry I made you worry," she said.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry _I_ worried _you,"_ said Rosalie softly. _"Please_ don't be afraid of me."

Bella just nodded, averting her gaze to the floor as her cheeks flamed red.

"You're awake," said Carlisle softly, coming back into sight. Rose's phone was clenched in his fist, silent and unlit.

"Mhm."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Mhm," she said again, her face turning even darker.

"Everything okay?" he asked cautiously, glancing at Rose for confirmation.

"We're fine, dad," said Rose gently. Bella nodded in agreement, and I could almost _see_ the silent prayers in her head. _Please let it go…_

I had to smile.

"Are you going to be okay in court tomorrow?" he asked. "Victoria will still be there…"

"I'll be fine," said Bella softly.

_I sure as hell hoped so._

ooOoo

"How old are you, Isabella?"

I sat on the edge of my seat.

This was it.

"Seventeen," Bella squeaked out.

"Only seventeen," repeated Brandon Noland, the crown prosecutor. "Do you enjoy school, Isabella?"

"I don't go to school."

"Have you ever been to school?" asked Noland gently.

Bella hesitated.

"I think so."

"You think so?"

"When I was very little," she replied gently. "Before."

"Before when?"

"Before the accident," she said, her voice almost inaudible.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Isabella. Here in the witness stand is a seventeen year old girl who has never, in her memory, been in a classroom?"

Bella kept quiet.

"Why did you never attend school?"

"Because there was no school at the Institute," she replied promptly.

"The Institute meaning what?" he asked.

"The Institute," she repeated. "I lived there."

"Are you in fact referring to the abandoned mental facility in the desert of Arizona?"

"Objection! Leading!"

"Overruled."

"Isabella?"

"Yes," she squeaked, and for one short moment, I feared that the defense's interjection had thrown her off her game.

"_Just focus on Brandon, Bella,"_ Marcus had said. _"Don't let anyone else throw you."_

She recovered like a champ.

"Do you know anyone who was in charge of the institution?"

"Yes."

"Do you see this person here today?"

"Yes…"

"Isabella, if you would, please point to that person."

Bella, with bravely shaking hands, pointed her finger at Victoria Hart, who refused to look up.

"Do you know that person's name, Isabella?"

"Victoria Hart," recited Bella dutifully. "Vicky."

"Let the record show," began Noland, "that witness Isabella Swan has positively identified Victoria Hart as one of the people in charge of the facility."

Bella shivered and sat back in her seat.

"Did Vicky ever lay a hand on you?"

"Yes."

"Did she hurt you?"

"Objection!"

"What now?" Judge Hopps snapped, turning to the defense.

"Leading the witness,"

"Overruled. Let the girl talk."

"Did she hurt you, Isabella?"

"Sometimes."

"Could you elaborate?"

Bella, looking up into the kind, dark eyes of our prosecutor, took a deep breath and began to talk.

"She grabbed, she hit and she said mean things," she rushed. "And sometimes, she watched."

"She grabbed you?" confirmed Noland.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"On the arm," said Bella sadly. "And sometimes my hair."

"Where did she hit you?"

Bella just shrugged.

"Isabella, please answer the question," said Judge Hopps. "Do you need a recess?"

"No," she squeaked. "She hit on the arm and…"

"And…?" asked Noland softly.

"On the… _butt."_

"Victoria struck you on the buttocks?" confirmed Noland.

Poor Bella turned red, and my heart went out to her.

I also wanted to kill the redhead.

"Why did Victoria strike you?"

"She said I was bad."

"She said?"

"Yes."

"What had you done to earn such a title?" asked Noland. "Did you steal, perhaps? Maybe talk back?"

"I didn't want my medicine," said Bella softly. "I wanted out."

"What medicine were you taking?" asked Noland. "Were you sick?"

"She said I was," Bella sighed. "Sometimes, when the Doctor couldn't make me eat my pills, he sent Vicky to make sure I did."

Victoria, if at all possible, sunk a little further down in her chair.

I hoped she would sink through the floor.

"What pills did Vicky make you take?"

"Objection! The witness isn't a medical professional."

"They were her prescriptions!" cried Noland.

"Overruled."

Shepherdson looked mutinous.

"The antidepressant," said Bella sadly, "and the Ativan."

"Do you know why you were supposed to take antidepressants?"

"No."

"Were you depressed?"

"No."

"Were you suffering from anxiety?"

"No."

"How old were you when those pills were prescribed, Bella?"

"I don't know."

"Before or after you can remember?"

"Before, I think."

"When did you first meet Victoria?" asked Noland, changing his tune.

"At the Institute."

"When?"

"Before," said Bella vaguely. "I can't remember exactly."

"Were you just a little girl?"

"Yes."

"How old do you think you were?"

"Six?" Bella guessed. "She was there at the start."

"How do you know?"

"The papers," said Bella sadly. "The Doctor's papers."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Your Honour, the prosecution would like to present articles 43, 44, and 45."

Three pieces of evidence were procured and brought to the front, while a projection of the pieces was shown on a large, white screen.

"Piece 44 is an entry from Victoria Hart's journal," he explained. "It reads, '…even though James asked me to deal with her, the little bitch still wouldn't take her meds.', '…the little girl won't shut up. Maybe I should go in there and shut her up.', '…the kid's asking questions again. James wants me to answer her. I don't know what to tell her. When she asked last time, I put her in solitary and she quieted down. Solitary does wonders on whiny kids.'."

I felt sick, but the look on the jury's faces made me feel quite a bit better.

I listened closely as Noland entered more evidence to convict Victoria. The journal was only the first of many pieces for the day. He submitted a piece of audio, a photograph of Bella's solitary room, photos of restraints, meal plans, pill bottles and even some forensic stuff, like fingerprints and hair. He questioned Bella over and over, ensuring her answers were full and strong. Bella started to look worn out again before he was done, and I worried about what the defense would do.

In my opinion, Nolan had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Victoria was guilty. Now it was Shepherdson's job to prove otherwise.

The second lawyer jumped at the chance to cross-examine my sister, and only Rosalie's steadying hand on my arm kept me quiet in my seat.

Bastard.

"Isabella, you're seventeen years old?"

"Yes."

"How old were you when you lost your memory?"

"Ten."

"How can you be sure?"

"I read the papers."

"James Dupont's papers?"

"Yes."

"Did Victoria Hart ever write any of these 'papers'?"

"I don't know."

"Over the course of your research, did Victoria ever write any of the papers?"

"No."

"Tell me, Isabella, do you recall any violence between James Dupont and Victoria Hart?"

"She smacked him once," Bella offered. "He didn't like that."

"Indeed," smiled Shepherdson. "Did Mr. Dupont ever strike Ms. Hart?"

"Yes."

"Did she fight him?"

"Yes."

"Do you think, Isabella, that Miss Hart took part in these criminal acts against her will?"

"No," Bella snapped, disgusted. "She knew what she was doing?"

"Oh, she might've known, Isabella, but do you think she _wanted_ to do those things?"

Bella kept quiet, unable to answer.

"Objection!" cried Noland angrily. "My witness is _not_ a mind reader!"

"Sustained."

"Did the violence ever escalate?" asked Shepherdson, unmoved.

"Sometimes," Bella squeaked.

"How so?"

"He got angry and he hit her. She'd hit him back and then they'd both start fighting."

"Isabella, did you know that one of the side-effects of antipsychotic medication is retrograde amnesia?"

"No…" said Bella, obviously not understanding.

"Were you aware that as part of your drug regimen, you were exposed to antipsychotic medication?"

"Yes."

"They make you forget," he said, directing his words to the jury. "Victoria Hart does not deny her presence in the hospital. She does not deny partaking in the activities that went on there. Victoria Hart is not remorseless, nor is she unfeeling. Victoria Hart is a sick woman."

Bella looked murderous.

"My client was diagnosed with depression at a very young age," he continued. "All she wanted was to feel better. She was only young when she met James Dupont—the handsome medical student from Colorado. How was she to know that he was a raging psychopath? How was Victoria Hart, a twenty-three year old woman, supposed to realize that her boyfriend was aiming to hurt a child?"

"She could've told the police!" snapped Bella suddenly, interrupting his tirade. "She had a phone!"

Noland shook his head quickly at her, telling her to keep quiet.

"Victoria Hart was a victim too," said Shepherdson softly. "Have we degraded into a society that punishes those who have no choice?"

"She had a choice!" cried Bella, tears starting. "She _always_ had a choice!"

"Miss Swan, let him finish," said Judge Hopps softly.

Bella fell into a tense silence, angrily wiping the tears with the back of her hand.

"Miss Swan," started Shepherdson again, "do you feel you had a choice?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because they kept me there!"

"Exactly," he said. "Exactly… they kept you there. You were kept in terrible conditions and exposed to horrible things, but as much as you wanted to get out, you were stuck."

"Victoria _wasn't_ stuck," said Bella viciously. "She _chose_ to stay, she _chose_ to keep me there, and she_ chose_ to keep her mouth shut!"

"Do you think, Isabella, that James Dupont would've grown angry if Victoria had called the authorities?"

"Yes."

"Angry enough for violence?"

"Probably," she admitted.

"So in your own words, Victoria Hart had a choice, but to exercise that free will she would've faced bodily harm?"

"Vicky spend _hours_ by herself in her room," said Bella darkly. _"Hours._ She had a computer, she had a phone… I know now that there are websites she could go to. Tip lines. It's all anonymous. The Doctor wouldn't have even known it was her. She kept her mouth shut."

"And stayed safe," said the defense softly. "Victoria Hart was stuck in an impossible position and she chose the option she thought was best."

"No, she chose the option that she wanted to choose," snapped Bella. "She chose to keep me in that place just so she wouldn't get _yelled_ at."

Shepherdson looked angry as my sister stared him down, and as shocked as I was, I was never more pleased to hear his next words.

"No further questions."

Bella beamed.

**A/N: Please excuse my courtroom fails. I'm not a lawyer. I know that Bella's not supposed to be in the courtroom before her time to testify (a reader pointed that out to me), but the story doesn't flow properly if Bella's not there. I wanted her reactions.**

**And just so you know, there will be no more "drama" between Bella and Rosalie. If you were wondering how the whole "Vicky the aunt" thing came about, I'll tell you. When I was writing, Vicky's last name was a tough thing to create. "Hart" just seemed to mix so well. By the time it was written and published, I'd already given everyone the family tree, where it listed Lillian Hale's (Rose and Jasper's biological mother's) maiden name as "Hart".**

**Seemed like a good plot twist... :)**

**Now I have a question for all of you. I'm second-guessing myself. Originally, I'd planned to write out all the court/trial stuff for Vicky, Felix AND James. Now, it seems like it might be a bit much. I know we'll have to hear a bit from James, but tell me:**

**Do you want Felix's trial included, or should I skim over it? Majority wins!**


	61. Chapter 60

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 60**

**A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. I know you've all waited VERY patiently, and for that, I thank you. As the note said (which you may or may not have read), at no point did I give up on this story. We moved into a new house, and because moving's so expensive, we haven't had the funds to reconnect our internet. My library requires a library card to access their internet, and to get a library card, you need photo ID _and_ proof of address. I don't drive, and therefore do not have a license, which has both a picture and my address. My health card (which does have a picture) doesn't have my address on it and was therefore not eligible as proper proof of identity for the almighty librarian (cue the sarcasm). My school, after discovering the so-called "file sharing software" on the website decided to block the site, so there was no getting on from school. In my desperation for a connection, I went to a local wi-fi hotspot in a coffee shop. I purchased a ridiculously priced smoothie in exchange for their internet services, only to find that my Macbook was having issues (some nonsense about a "self-acquired IP address").**

**I'm babysitting for my aunt tonight, who was kind enough to give me her wi-fi password. The IP issue has apparently been resolved (no problems today, anyhow) and I've taken this opportunity to give you another chapter.**

**I hope my explanation made sense. It's been a LONG month!**

BPOV

_Guilty._

_Guilty, guilty, guilty._

"_We the jury find the defendant, Victoria Hart, guilty on all counts."_

"_Defendant sentenced to 25 years in prison, and will be eligible for parole in 2026."_

"_Court is adjourned."_

"Bella?"

I snuggled deeper into Edward's embrace, holding on as tightly as I could.

"_I missed you…"_

"You okay, Bella?" he asked, glancing down.

"Perfect."

He chuckled at me.

"Bella! Edward! Dinner!"

I missed Esme, too.

_The car turned the sharp corner of our driveway, and as soon as we hit the dirt, I sat up straight. The familiar trees passed me by and I bounced in place, wishing Carlisle would just go a _little_ faster._

"_You look like Jake."_

_Rosalie smacked him for me._

_The house came into view, and I felt myself growing more and more anxious. It had been over two weeks since I last saw my family, and I missed them._

_Two weeks of listening, waiting, more listening and more waiting. It took the jury three days of talking to decide that Vicky was going to prison. I spend three days holed up in the hotel room, eyes glued to the news, waiting for a verdict._

_Carlisle had barked at me to turn the news off, but even in the face of his irritation, I'd defied him._

_No._

_When we parked the car and Emmett opened his door, the front door flew open and Esme darted outside._

"_Oh my goodness!" she cried, rushing right to me. "Sweetheart, we watched the whole thing on CNN…"_

_Carlisle grunted in disapproval._

"…_and I'm _so_ glad we won this one," she gushed. "Come here."_

_I went to her and submitted to her hugging, even letting her kiss my cheek as she let me go._

"_Did you do alright on the stand?" she asked. "You weren't too nervous?"_

"_I did fine," I shrugged._

"_She was wonderful," said Carlisle fondly. "She did very well."_

_Esme had forgotten to close the door when she came out, and everyone in the family knew Jake had an open-door radar._

_It didn't fail him._

_With a great cry of canine pleasure and a string of exuberant barks, Jake flew from the door and bounded over to me, nearly knocking Esme down in his haste. I grabbed him tight around the neck and held on, letting him knock me right on my bottom on the wet grass._

_He kissed my cheek and snorted in my face, but even when facing his gruesome breath, I couldn't let him go._

_I'd _missed_ him._

"_Jakey-boy," I cooed happily. "Did Alice feed you?"_

"_Of course I did!" cried Alice indignantly, standing on the front step with her hands on her hips. "As if he'd let me starve him!"_

_Jake would've eaten Alice's food, if she'd forgotten._

_Jake just kissed._

"_Easy there, puppy," I crooned. "Gentle."_

_He listened without hesitation and tossed his massive body down on the grass, rolling onto his back for me to pat his belly._

_I obliged without question._

"_It's cold down there, sweetheart. Bring the dog inside and get warm."_

_Carlisle's hand helped me up._

"_In, puppy!" I ordered, pointing him in the right direction. Happy that everyone was home, he bounded right through the front door and sashayed into the sitting room, no doubt to rub his wetness off on the sofa._

_Bad dog._

"_I missed you," Alice said softly, pulling me in for a gentle hug. "I'm glad you're okay."_

_I kissed her cheek and rested my head on her shoulder._

_Emmett and Carlisle passed us with our luggage, while Rosalie came in arm-in-arm with Esme. Both chattered away as Alice and I moved aside, Jake returning from his living room dry-off._

_I felt a hand on my back, and I jumped in shock. _

"_Jasper," I gasped, wheeling around. To my surprise, he didn't greet me with his usual grin or nod. He looked somber and serious…_

"_Jasper," said Alice sadly, reaching out. He let her hand touch his before he brought it gently to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss before he let it go._

_She looked torn between pity and understanding as she kissed my cheek one last time, and left me alone and confused with her boyfriend._

_He drew me in for a hug, which I returned easily._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_I'm sorry for my aunt," he said dutifully. "I had no idea…"_

"_No one did," I said quickly. "I'm not afraid anymore."_

"_I'm glad," he murmured softly. "Rose was scared for a while."_

_I felt my eyes sting with shame as I hid against his shoulder._

"_Sorry."_

"_Don't do that," he admonished. "It's over now."_

_Yes, it was._

"_Vicky's in jail now," I sighed, pulling away. "She can't hurt anyone else."_

_Jasper just grinned at me and kissed my knuckles, turning my face all kinds of red._

_He just laughed at me._

"Bella?" asked Edward, giving me a gentle nudge with his elbow. "You coming?"

"Yeah."

We both stood from our place on his sofa, stretching out the stiffness from hours of sitting. Unable to let him go for even a moment, I took his hand in mine, earning me my favourite crooked grin as we moved towards the stairs.

"Hungry?"

"Not really," I admitted, "but I don't think Esme would like it if I stayed up here."

"No, probably not," he agreed, "because then I'd have to stay with you."

I kept my giddy eyes turned to the front as we made our way down, the sound clinking silverware leading us to the dining room.

"Oh, there you two are," said Esme cheerfully, ushering us inside. Everyone else was already seated and ready to eat, pouring glasses of juice and water while Edward and I took our seats.

My toes rubbed into Jake's side under the table, knowing that he _always_ sat by my feet.

Esme didn't approve, but she let him stay.

"I _love_ you, mother," said Emmett suddenly as Esme removed the cover from the big roasting pan.

Esme's famous sweet and sour meatballs.

"I love you too, dear," she cooed back, sweetly sarcastic. "I think such an occasion deserves a crowd favourite."

I blushed again, knowing she was talking about me.

Good for me for being able to testify.

Emmett, to his displeasure, was forced to let me dish my food first, since it was "my accomplishment", according to Esme. Just to bug him, I let Alice go next.

"And here I was, thinking you loved me," he said sadly, holding a hand to his chest. "I was sorely mistaken."

I just giggled.

"Did you know, Emmett," I began cheekily, "that if we lived in old times, you'd be _forced_ to let the girls go first?"

"Yes, I did know that, missy," he said smartly, "but I don't live in _old times."_

"No, people in old times had manners."

"I have plenty of manners, thank you very much," he said, affronted. "I'm a perfect gentleman."

I snorted.

"See, this is why we men love our brothers," he said, pointing rudely at me. "They don't give a shit who goes first."

"Emmett Charles!" cried Esme, aghast. "You-"

"Watch my mouth," Emmett finished, barely containing his eye roll. "Sorry."

I sat with a satisfied grin, gently poking a piece of meat into my mouth.

I'd been getting very good at this bugging Emmett thing.

The dinner table banter continued right through to eight o' clock, when finally, the dishes were collected and the food put away. Esme had fed us a marvelous chocolate cake after we were finished our dinner plates, and she'd cracked out the coffee and hot chocolate after that.

Edward was sipping his peppermint tea when I let out a yawn, blushing brightly when his head turned to me.

"Tired?"

"No."

"You're a terrible liar," he said offhandedly. "But I'll pretend."

I scowled at him and he smirked, turning his attention back to Alice, who was discussing her upcoming graduation with Jasper and Carlisle.

"Mom and I looked at dresses," she said exuberantly. "I'm not sure which one I want yet. Which did you like, Jasper?"

Jasper, having been distracted by Emmett's quiet joking, whipped around to Alice, wide-eyed.

"Sorry?"

"Are you listening to _anything_ I've said?" she demanded. "It's _your_ graduation too, you know..."

Jasper watched her, eyes wide and apologetic before Emmett nudged him in the ribs and muttered a particularly unsavory comment, making him laugh.

Alice gave him the stink-eye as Jasper turned back to Emmett.

"Whatever," she sighed dramatically, and I half expected her to toss her hands up in exasperation.

I listened closely to her, even if Jasper didn't.

"What colour did you like best?"

"Well," she began, turning to me. "There was a beautiful cream coloured gown, and then there was a knee-length violet piece…"

Blue, red, yellow, purple… Alice had tried, and _liked_, them all.

"You'd like the blue one, I think, Bella," she said confidently.

Of course I'd like the blue one. I _always _liked the blue choices.

Alice prattled on, and half way through her speech, I couldn't help but yawn.

"You're tired," accused Alice softly, taking my chin in her hand. I looked away as her gaze pierced into my own, deciphering any lie that might've been forming in my brain.

"I'm fine here…" I protested awkwardly, not ready for bed. "I don't want to…"

"Come on," said Alice gently, cutting me off. "I'll come up with you."

I sighed heavily and glanced around the table, knowing no one would support me in my mission to stay up. Carlisle, as always, shot me a stern glance that held nothing but warning.

"_Get to bed, Bella. Overexertion won't help anybody." _Carlisle had repeated those words numerous times during our time in Phoenix, and eventually, he'd condensed those words into a single, meaningful glance.

Knowing I was defeated, I stood, preparing to say my farewells for the day. Jake, always ready, jumped up with me, standing at my side as I turned and waved goodnight to Carlisle and Esme.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Esme said gently. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Bye Boo."

"Have a good sleep."

"Goodnight, Ali," said Jasper gently, offering Alice an apologetic smile. She rewarded him with a happy grin, and I knew then that any transgression regarding his attentiveness had been forgiven.

It was only as I was leaving the kitchen that I felt a warm, gentle hand capture my own, holding me back. Edward stood quickly and smiled softly at me, looking a little embarrassed.

"Meet me tomorrow before lunch," he said gently. "Find your hiking boots."

My stomach did a little twist of excitement at the very thought, and I nodded eagerly.

"Goodnight," I said gently, not wanting any kisses in front of Carlisle and Esme.

He understood without question and squeezed my hand in farewell, letting Alice escort me upstairs.

Jake followed suit, never leaving my side until we reached my bedroom. I swung the door open to admit both dog and sister, closing it softly behind me.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" asked Alice softly. "I won't stay long, if you're ready for sleep."

"You can stay," I said quickly. "Just let me get clean."

She grinned at me as I grabbed a fluffy towel and my pyjamas, venturing to the bathroom for my nightly cleansing ritual. The warmth of the shower comforted me, relaxing my tense shoulders and easing the day's grime from my skin. The soft, strawberry soap was familiar and welcome, and I spent just a _tiny_ bit too long under the spray, unable to tear myself away from the luxury.

Alice was waiting patiently for me when I returned, having changed her own clothes. Jake was snoring in my bed, his face smashed into one of the pillows, no doubt drooling on the freshly-laundered pillowcase.

Gross dog.

"Lay down," urged Alice softly, nudging Jake to the end of the bed with her feet. She slipped under my covers after me, wiggling down to cover herself completely, and I didn't hesitate to slip in after her.

"How was it?" she asked softly. "Phoenix, I mean."

"Alright," I said honestly. "Tiring."

"You were _really_ alright up on the stand?" she asked worriedly. "No problems?"

"No," I said. "Carmen and Eleazar and Marcus kept them from 'stressing' me."

The word 'stressing' was used with the utmost contempt.

"Do you think you'll be ready again so soon?" she asked. "You're leaving again in just over a week."

"I have to be," I said with a shrug. "There's no question of _if."_

Alice just smiled wanly, reaching out to take my hand.

"I missed you, you know?" she said. "I don't like it when you're gone."

"I don't like _being _gone," I returned, shifting closer. "It's strange, somehow."

She nodded.

"Do you think it'll be much harder?" she asked. "Testifying against Felix, I mean."

I sighed at the sound of his name, but plucked up the courage to answer her.

"Yes."

Alice squeezed my hand.

Vicky had hit me. She had kept me in my solitary room. She'd fed me. She'd helped me in the bathroom. She'd given me medicine. She'd been the Doctor's wingman. She'd hurt me.

Felix's crime was much different than any of those things, and somehow, much more _personal._

What Felix did embarrassed me.

"You'll do well," said Alice softly, her eyes searching my face. "You're better than him."

I kept quiet.

"Are you very tired?" asked Alice gently, changing the subject. "I should go…"

"Don't go," I said suddenly, turning to face her. "Please don't go."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking reluctant to move. "I don't want to keep you up."

"You won't, I promise," I said quickly, "but please stay."

And so she did.

ooOoo

"You've got your boots?"

"Yes."

"Water?"

"Yes."

"Food?"

"Yes."

"GPS?"

"Yes, mom."

"Backpacks?"

"Yes."

"Dog?"

"Right here!" I chirped, showing Esme Jake's leash.

"Well, be careful…" she said worriedly, eying Edward pointedly. _"Don't_ you go getting lost."

"We won't mom," he soothed. "We'll be fine. I love you."

"I love you too," she said anxiously, pulling him in for a hug. "Remember, if it's wet, don't sit on the ground…"

"I know," he said again, on the verge of exasperation. "We'll be fine."

"I hope so," she said dubiously. "Call if you run into any trouble."

"We will," I assured her, pressing my hand to my breast pocket to feel the outline of the cell phone.

Of course, it was still in my pocket, where I'd put it.

"You ready, Bella?" asked Edward gently.

I was more than ready.

"Gentle on the leash, Jake," I said softly. "No tugging."

He listened perfectly as Edward cracked the door open, letting me out first with Jake. The leash was long and strong, but not so long that Jake could wind himself around bushes or trees.

Just long enough so he wouldn't have to pull me off of the path to pee.

"Off we go!" said Edward happily, reaching for my free hand. He held the GPS system in the other, the familiar virtual push pin marking our destination.

Our meadow.

The walk was leisurely and gentle through the sopping undergrowth and dripping leaves (_everything_ dripped during a Forks spring, according to Edward). We made small talk as we went, talking about everything from Edward's school to his graduation to the way Jake seemed to sashay through the woods as if he owned them. It wasn't difficult talk, nor was it particularly deep, but just gentle words.

Always gentle and always kind.

Before too long, though, we'd found our way to the meadow. Last time we were here, it had been overgrown with wildflowers of all shapes and colours. Now, because spring was only just arriving, the flowers were just starting to poke through the grass, bobbing green heads dancing with the wind. There was no place to sit on the grass that wasn't wet or covered with the young blooms, so the two of us settled for a damp long near the outside of the circle.

"It's very pretty here," said Edward seriously. "Beautiful, really."

I nodded in agreement and rested my head on his shoulder, glad to be with him in such a gorgeous place.

After my transplant, it had occurred to me that I might not get to see the meadow again.

"You know," I started, "I think this might be my favourite."

"Your favourite what?" he queried gently, reaching down to unlatch Jake's leash. The dog tumbled mercilessly through the field, sniffing and snuffling to his heart's content.

"My favourite place," I said easily.

"You think so?" he asked, turning to face me. "What about the house, or your bedroom?"

"They're all very nice," I said quickly, not wanting to insult Esme with any lies. "I just like this place in a different way. It's special."

"I know just what you mean, Beautiful," he replied, gently pushing my hair behind my ear. "You hungry?"

I nodded, not bothering to lie.

I knew he'd packed us a lunch, and he smiled when he pulled it out. Of course, as he handed me my sandwich from the pack, Jake's food radar went off and he found himself back at our feet, eying the rations.

"Oh get away," said Edward, laughing. "Always such a mooch."

Mooch or not, those eyes would never fail to break me, and I tossed him a crust.

"You spoil him," said Edward disapprovingly. "He's getting to be very self-assured."

"I can't say no to that face!" I cooed lovingly, taking the great muzzle in my hands to kiss his nose. Edward watched on, amused, as Jake licked my nose in reply, taking the opportunity to sniff me for more food.

Mooch for sure.

"Well," he said easily, "I'm sure he's just loving it."

"I think so too," I grinned, pressing one last kiss to the wet nose, letting him go with only a hint of reluctance.

Jake, sensing his brief treat was over, returned to the center of the field, plunking himself down in the grass.

"I could stay here forever," I said softly, letting my weight fall onto Edward's side.

"I think you'd make a lovely tree-woman," he teased. "Leaping from branch to branch…"

I swatted him.

"I meant in a house," I said softly. "Or a cabin, maybe."

"It's pretty secluded," said Edward dubiously. "I'm sure you could find somewhere pretty with some neighbours close by."

I just laughed and shrugged, letting him rest his arm on my shoulders.

"Maybe I don't like neighbours."

"I like neighbours," said Edward certainly. "At least one."

If Edward liked neighbours, I'd put up with them.

"Where do you want to live?" I asked gently.

"Someplace nice," said Edward quickly. "Not too big."

"I like little places," I said, thinking of the tiny town we called home.

When I thought of big places, I thought of Phoenix, and inevitably, of Doctor Dupont and his orderlies.

Little places were best.

"I'd like to live in a house something like ours," he said easily. "Maybe not as big."

"Mhm…"

"And I want a big yard."

"Oh."

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

Edward hesitated for a moment, looking torn between asking and changing the subject.

"What?" I asked again, earning me a very intense look.

My mind reeled for a moment before he spoke, wondering what on earth he might be thinking.

He was a mysterious man, my Edward.

"Do you want kids?"

The pause was heavy as I absorbed the question, letting it filter through my brain.

Did I want kids?

"I've never really thought about it," I admitted softly. "I don't know if I _can_ have kids."

"You don't have to give birth to have kids, Bella," he reminded me. "We know better than anyone what the real meaning of a parent is."

I sat in silence.

"It's a big decision," he said softly, "and I don't want you to stress over it. Whatever you want is fine with me."

Did that mean Edward _wanted_ to have kids?

…with me?

I flushed bright red, but he held his gaze on me, his eyes begging me for an answer.

"I don't know."

"Okay," he said softly, letting his eyes fall. "What's put you on the fence?"

"What?"

"Do you know why you're undecided?" he asked easily.

"Because I'll be bad at it," I blurted.

"Never."

"I don't know what a mom's supposed to do," I said reasonably. "Esme's the closest thing I've ever had."

"Esme's the _only_ thing I've ever had," said Edward softly, "and I know for a fact she's a wonderful role model."

"I know."

"She's your mother too, you know."

Yeah, I knew that too.

"I love her," said Edward easily. "She's kind and gentle and always ready to listen… you're different than her, that's certain, but I see a lot of similarities."

"I don't know what kids are supposed to do," I reminded him. "I never did those things."

"I think your life has made you a better person," he said softly. "You see other people's hurt and you're not immune to it."

"Oh."

"Yeah, _oh."_

"Do _you_ want kids?" I countered quickly, wanting to shift the attention away from myself.

"Yes," he answered quickly, almost without thinking. "I've always wanted children."

I melted just a _teeny_ bit inside.

"I didn't say no," I reminded him, "and 17 is a little young to be planning, don't you think?"

The mood lifted instantly and Edward just laughed at me, eyes bright and twinkling.

"I don't want any babies _yet,"_ he said firmly. "Just… someday."

He had that faraway look again, and I wondered what he was imagining—maybe a little dark haired, green eyed baby with sweet dimples and rosy cheeks.

Or maybe, he was just wanting to get home.

I didn't know.

"You ready to go?" he asked idly, glancing to the sky for direction. The telltale darkening let me know that rain was on its way, and remembering my illness from my last stint in the rain, I was quick to agree.

"Come on, Jakey!" I cried easily, calling the dog's attention. He came without incident or protest and let me clip his lead back onto his collar as Edward fired up the GPS and located the other little push-pin labeled "Home", asking it to retrace our path.

It did so without much trouble and soon, we were on our way.

"You know, I missed you when you were gone," he said softly. "You know that, right?"

"I missed you too."

Terribly.

"When do you leave again?" he asked, sounding morose.

"A little over a week," I sighed. "I've got a bit of time left."

"Not long enough," he mourned. "I hate when your not here."

"I hate not being here."

"You're a strong girl, you know that?"

I blushed, nodding quickly.

"I mean it," he said, stopping. I relished the electric-like charge that flowed through me when he cupped my cheeks in his large hands, looking very serious indeed. "You're strong and brave, and I couldn't be more proud of you."

If at all possible, my face turned even redder. It didn't escape Edward's notice either, and I saw his lips twitch.

"So sensitive, Bella," he teased gently, pressing a kiss to my lips. "You'd think I said something indecent."

And now, I was sure my face would explode, and Edward couldn't contain his laughter any longer.

"Keep walking," I grumbled, scowling as I tried to hide my flaming face. He shot me one last wry smile and did as he was told, marching on ahead of Jake and I. For a stretch, we kept quiet, but before long, Edward's voice rang out again.

"Hey Bella?"

"Yeah?" I asked, jogging to catch up to him.

"I love you."

My face blotched red again, but this time, instead of shying away, I took his hand.

"Love you too."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know!**


	62. Chapter 61

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 61**

**A/N: Once again- I AM NOT ABANDONING MY STORY! Not even slightly. Still having internet problems. Luckily, I'm babysitting tonight, and am able to get wi-fi from them.**

BPOV

May 2011

"_Take two, sweetheart," said Marcus softly, holding my hand gently. Once again, as much as I hated it, I found myself standing outside the Phoenix courtroom with cameras flashing and blinking in my face. Carlisle had a seemingly permanent scowl on his face as he ushered us inside, closing the doors behind us before anyone else could accost us._

"_You'll do fine," said Emmett breezily. "Just watch—it'll go by so fast, you won't even have time to blink."_

_I sincerely doubted that, but smiled at him anyways._

"_Is he here yet?" I asked. More than anything, I was afraid of happening upon him when I wasn't expecting it._

"_Probably," said Carlisle softly, "but they'll hold him in a secure area until it's time to start."_

_The butterflies calmed somewhat, but were instead replaced with an impatient fidgeting._

"_Quit it," said Rose gently, stilling my hand with hers. "Don't be so jumpy. He can't do anything in here."_

_I took a deep breath._

"_We can go inside now," said Marcus softly, eying the open door where the bailiff stood._

* * *

"…calls witness Isabella Swan to the stand."

I stood on shaking knees, and eyed the podium, taking a deep breath. Emmett let go of my hand with reluctant worry, giving me a slight nudge forward.

I felt his eyes on me.

* * *

"_All rise for the Honorable Judge Tyler!" I, along with the entire courtroom full of people, stood and watched as the middle-aged, serious-looking man entered the room, sitting down behind his podium. The judge read off Felix's list of charges, including endangering a minor, abandoning a minor, kidnapping, accessory to murder and the final, most humiliating charge—rape. The jury were bristling with slight impatience as Marcus and our lawyer, Ms. Flenderson, prepared for their opening statements._

_And open, they did—with long, flowing dialogue and intense, emotive language, Ms. Flenderson managed to pull in the jury's attention, focusing much of her attention on me._

_I was sure I was red as a beet._

_The courtroom's eyes flickered back to Ms. Flenderson as she turned around, facing _him_._

"_The prosecution would like to present exhibit A for the jury's examination," she said softly clicking her button to activate the projector screen. I saw, with great mortification, the very same paper Ms. Denise Loren had presented me with that day so long ago._

"_Patient 33 was on dish duty, and as a side effect of medication 45, was experiencing debilitating tremors. Patient dropped a ceramic dish on the floor, causing lacerations to her left foot. Felix intervened and took the patient back to her holding room. The next day, patient 33 was silent and despondent, unresponsive during her group therapy session. The "stun-gun" proved effective at regaining her attention. During her weekly physical, patient 33 sported new bruises to her upper thighs, hips, abdomen and chest. Upon further gynecological examination…"_

_Ms. Flenderson, much to my humiliation, read the paper out loud to the jury before falling silent for a short moment, turning to face them pensively._

"_Please take note, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, of the date on the upper portion of this page."_

_I glanced up and saw _October 23, 2006.

"_Isabella Swan," she said, clicking her screen changer, "was born on September 13, 1993."_

_My information—one side my birth certificate, the other the Doctor's forms about me—came on the screen, letting the jury know without a doubt that I was only seventeen and that I most definitely _was_ patient 33._

"_We can deduce then, from this given information, that Miss Swan was only thirteen at the time of the assault."_

_Emmett stiffened next to me, and I slunk down on the bench in mortification._

_Rosalie held my hand tight._

"_Sexual assault of a minor is," said Ms. Flenderson, "a most heinous and horrendous crime, don't you think?"_

* * *

"Now Isabella," said Anna Flenderson, a sweet lilt to her voice. "Do you know who Felix Franconelli is?"

"Yes."

"Is he here, in this room, today?"

"Yes."

"If you would, please point him out for the ladies and gentlemen of the jury."

One shaking finger reached out and pointed directly at Felix, whose head was down and unobservant.

"Thank you, Isabella," she said softly. "Could you tell us where you were on the evening of October 24, 2006?"

"The Institute."

"And what were you doing that night?"

My eyes shot over to Felix once more, and this time, he looked back. His blue eyes were piercing and sharp as he stared, and I faltered.

"Isabella?"

"I was doing dishes," I said softly. I heard the stenographer's keyboard clacking.

"Where were you doing dishes?"

"In the kitchen at the Institute," I said softly.

"Just for reference, Isabella, could you tell us what you mean by the Institute?"

"I mean that place," I said, pointing to the screen with the picture.

"You were only thirteen at the time, Isabella," she said, sounding confused. "What exactly were you doing in that place?"

"I lived there."

"With whom? Surely not your parents…"

"No, my mom and dad died," I said, saddened. "I lived there with Vicky, Felix and the Doctor."

"Felix Franconelli?"

"Yes."

"Is he a relation of yours?"

"No."

"Is he a family friend?"

"No."

"Did he have any legal right over you?"

"No."

"How old were you when you first met Felix?"

"Six, I guess," I shrugged. "At the group home."

"And what do you remember about the group home?"

"Nothing."

* * *

"_Isabella Swan, aged 6," said Anna Flenderson softly, clicking her clicker to bring up another photo. This one was one I'd never seen before—little me standing against a white, brick wall with an all-too familiar hospital gown on and a wide-eyed, frightened look on my face. Emmett's forehead creased and his eyes brightened as he watched the screen._

"_This picture is dated August 20, 2000. This was also the day that the group home Isabella was a part of was raided, and the children removed from the family's custody. From the documentation you see before you," she flicked the screen again, "you'll see that on the application for foster families in Arizona, you can see two names."_

_Her clicker clicked again._

"_Heidi Durham and Felix Franconelli."_

_Ms. Flenderson kept her head high as the jury bristled uncomfortably, taking in all the information being tossed their way. I saw a man with a great grey beard taking notes, studying the page with great rumination._

"_Miss Durham," said Anna, clicking to a picture of a vaguely familiar dark-haired woman, "is currently in federal custody on unrelated charges. Mr. Franconelli sits here before you. To mistreat a child violates not only the laws of our own conscious, but also the laws put in place by our great nation. And as you can see, ladies and gentlemen, Felix Franconelli is undoubtedly guilty of mistreating _this_ child."_

* * *

"Isabella, tell us about what you remember during your time between your parent's death and the Institute," prodded Anna.

"I was at a house," I replied, "and there were other kids."

"Like who?"

"Dunno."

"You don't know?"

"No."

"Well then, Isabella," she said sweetly, "do you remember anything about your time after you were in the group home?"

"Just a little bit."

"Tell me about it."

"Well…" I hesitated, thinking hard.

Why couldn't I remember?

"Yes?"

"I was supposed to eat corn flakes."

"Corn flakes?" she asked, confused. "Who asked you to eat corn flakes?"

"The Doctor. _Him."_ I pointed right at Felix.

"Objection!"

"Sustained."

"Did you ask for corn flakes, Isabella?"

"No. I don't like cereal."

"Objection!" cried Gordon Kramer again, looking quite outraged. "It's hardly a crime to feed cereal to a child!"

"Overruled," said the judge wearily. "Ms. Flenderson, get on with your questions."

"Do you recognize this table?" asked Anna easily, moving away from cereal. Her clicker clicked and I saw the little wooden Institute table that sat in the counseling room with my old things on it."

"Yes."

"Could you tell us what this is?"

"My old table," I said. "It was in the counseling room."

"Do you recognize this?" she asked, clicking again.

"I drew it," I said, remembering clearly how my fingers had clutched the little brown broken crayon.

"What is this picture of?" she asked.

"My solitary room," I said easily. A jury lady stifled a gasp.

"What went on in that room?" asked Anna.

I froze.

"I…"

"Yes?"

"I… I went in there."

"What did you do in there?"

"I sat."

"And?"

"I slept."

"And?"

"And…" My face turned bright red, and Anna looked at me with ruthless, knowing eyes.

"You're safe here, Isabella. You can say whatever's on your mind."

She was a liar, but I spoke anyways.

"And it's where Felix used to visit me."

"Why did Felix visit you?"

"Because he liked to…" I saw my brother's head snap up as his eyes met mine, and I couldn't help but look away.

"He liked to what?"

"He…" I couldn't say it.

"Did Felix Franconelli ever put his hands on you?"

"Yes."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Yes."

"Did he ever hit or strike you?"

"Sometimes."

"Did he rape you, Isabella?" I flinched at the harsh bite in her words, not liking her bluntness.

I wanted down now.

"Yes."

"Did he ever touch you inappropriately?"

"Yes."

My eyes burned holes into the wood in front of me.

"More than once?"

"Yes."

"Over a long period of time?"

"Yes."

"Objection! She's leading her witness!"

"Sustained."

"No further questions."

ooOoo

After the terrible day in the courtroom, Carlisle was more than pleased to gently lead me out of the room and into the car waiting out back.

"You did wonderfully," he soothed, a grim look of satisfaction on his face. "Anna Flenderson is blunt, but she's great at her job."

I was still thoroughly mortified.

"You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of," said Rose softly. "You said just what you had to."

I just nodded.

"I want to go to sleep," I said awkwardly. "I'm tired."

"When we get in, you can," said Carlisle. "We'll have an early dinner and you can be in bed by 7:00, if you want to be."

I did want to be.

I wanted to go _home._

**A/N: Short, I know, but almost everyone wanted something of Felix's trial to be included. I tried to make it as interesting as I could.**

**We'll learn Felix's fate and maybe see some more Edward in Chapter 62.**


	63. Chapter 62

**Dark Waltz- Chapter 62**

**A/N: Well, as many of you might suspect, this is the last official chapter of the story. I've also posted the epilogue for everyone to read. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thanks to all who reviewed, favourited or alerted.**

BPOV

Today was the day. _The_ day. _That_ day…

"Third time's a charm, right?" said Emmett gently, squeezing my shoulders. "Come on."

"Yeah."

I _knew_ he was in there and I knew that _he_ knew I was coming. In a mere matter of minutes, I would see his angry eyes and familiar yellow hair watching me—always watching—and I would speak out against him.

I shivered as we were led to our seats—right at the front of the room—and waited. People began to file in behind us—Marcus, the prosecutor Brian Cromwell, Dr. Denali and Carmen. Everyone was here. As I looked around the room, I couldn't help but notice Carlisle's intense, tired gaze as he surveyed the scene. It had been a long night last night—Marcus had called with the time change for the trial, then they'd changed it again, then they'd almost had to postpone it. Only because Carlisle threatened to withdraw my testimony did the courts agree to proceed.

He wanted to get home almost as much as I did.

The side doors opened without much ceremony and two armed police officers emerged, followed by an eerily familiar figure dressed in an orange jumpsuit. His hands were cuffed and his ankles shackled, but it did very little to stay my anxiety.

"All rise for the Honorable Judge Sheffield!" I stood, almost robotically, as my eyes stuck to the back of that blonde head, bowed either in shame or anger.

I couldn't be sure.

Mia Sheffield, however, distracted me from James Dupont's head, and I was pleased to see that she was relatively young and fierce-looking. Her dark hair was smoothed back from her head and her bright green eyes pierced the room. She looked very no-nonsense, and I was almost positive she was on my side.

"You may sit," she said dismissively, lowering herself down in her own chair. I, unable to focus entirely on what was happening, plunked down ungracefully in my seat, only just remembering to cross my ankles.

I was in a skirt, after all.

"Today's proceedings involve the state of Arizona versus James Dupont. Mr. Dupont is charged with kidnapping, drug trafficking, insurance fraud…"

The judge read off a laundry list of accusations, ending with a chilling "three charges of first-degree murder".

"How does the defendant plead?"

Mr. Jerald Handler, the Doctor's lawyer, rose and adjusted his glasses.

"As I understand it, Your Honor, the DA has offered my client a deal."

"Yes?"

"In exchange for a guilty plea, his sentence would be reduced to life without parole."

"How does you client plead, counselor?"

"Guilty, your honor."

Guilty?

Marcus sat up a little straighter as the crowd murmured, and Brian Cromwell beamed.

"Cromwell?" asked Judge Sheffield, unhappy.

"The defense contacted us late last week and we arranged a plea bargain," said Brian Cromwell. "We were prepared to seek the death penalty, but in exchange for a guilty plea, the charge will be lessened to life without parole."

"Handler?"

"He's right, Your Honor."

"What's happening?" I whispered, nudging Carlisle. He shook his head minutely and shushed me, listening.

"Very well. Court is adjourned. We'll set the sentencing date later this week." Mia Sheffield banged her gavel, and the crowd erupted.

"What happened?" I asked, confused. The armed guards were taking Dr. Dupont away…

"They offered him a plea bargain," said Carlisle, sounding disgusted. "No trial in exchange for his cooperation. He'll be in prison for the rest of his life."

"What about testifying?"

"You won't have to, now," he said softly. "They'll bring him back later this week for sentencing, and he'll go to the maximum security penitentiary."

"What?"

"Marcus, did you know about this?" asked Carlisle, suspicious.

"No one told me a thing," he said, infuriated. "Jesus, I can't _believe_ Cromwell..."

I had been stressed for nothing... My mind was boggled at this change of events, though I couldn't say I didn't like it.

I could go home.

Home to Esme, home to Jake, home to Alice and Edward and Jasper and my room, and my _things..._

"Isabella Swan?"

"What is it?" asked Carlisle, displeased. "We have nothing to say to you."

Jerald Handler stood before me, his little, beady eyes hidden by his round glasses.

"My client would like to request a meeting," he said quietly.

"No."

"What?"

"Carlisle and I spoke at the same time."

"It's called restorative justice," began the lawyer, "and I feel that it would be beneficial for both parties to—"

"No," said Carlisle again. "Absolutely not."

"Why does he want to see me?" I asked, shaky. "I have nothing to say to him."

"It would be in quite a long time," said Mr. Handler. "It would take time and a lot of paperwork for the request to go through, but if you were amenable."

"I'm _not_ amenable," I spat harshly. "I hate him and I want him to stay in there all by himself."

Mr. Handler just sighed.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Swan."

"Yeah." I didn't even have it in me to say _you're welcome._

"That one has balls, coming over here like that," said Marcus suddenly, displeased. "He must've known you'd say no…"

"Are we done now?" I asked, sighing.

"I think we are," said Carlisle. "Finally finished."

"Miss Swan?"

"Oh what is it now?" asked Carlisle, turning once more to face Mr. Jerald Handler.

"This was written for you," he said quietly, offering me an envelope. "You're under no obligation to read it, but…"

"Thanks, Jerry," said Marcus staunchly. "We're just leaving now."

He put the envelope down on the edge of my bench and backed away, running a hand through his hair as he moved towards the judge and Mr. Cromwell.

"You can throw that right out, if you want to," said Carlisle distastefully. "It's up to you."

"What is it?" I asked quietly, noting the lack of writing on the envelope.

"A letter, I'm assuming," he said. "From Dupont."

I flushed bright red before I paled, both shocked and embarrassed.

"Why?"

"I suppose he's feeling guilty," he said gently. "He'll want to make amends."

"Oh."

Yeah right.

"Are we done for good now?" I asked. "Is there anything more to do here?"

"We can go home, honey," said Rosalie softly, taking my hand. "We're finished."

I'd never heard more beautiful words in all my life.

"Right now?" I asked, excited. We moved to the side doors- where James Dupont had exited- and avoided the media storm outside. The black car was waiting, and I eagerly jumped in.

"Well, I'll need to adjust the flights," said Carlisle, "but we should be able to make it back by tonight."

_Tonight._

All the way back to the hotel, my mind was focused on my upcoming reunion. The letter lay folded and forgotten in my pocket.

ooOoo

"I'm _so_ glad you're home!" cried Esme exuberantly. "You've no idea how long it's been!"

"Oh yes I do," I sighed, keeping a tight hold on her. "I know _exactly_ how long it's been."

"Well, Jasper and Edward have been trying to make you a welcoming dinner," she said conspiratorially. "They've burned two loaves of bread so far."

I giggled and peeked around her, glancing at the familiar, happy house.

_My_ home.

"Edward?" I called out, stepping inside with Esme. I heard a clattering from the kitchen and a muffled curse before a loud, bumbling set of footsteps dashed from the back of the house.

"Bella?" asked Edward, excited. "You're home!" I laughed and tried to make my way forward, but in that instant, the both of us were stopped dead. An exuberant, howling whine broke through and the clatter of claws on the hardwood was loud.

Uh oh…

"Jakey, get _down!"_ I laughed happily, shoving the great beast away. His long, pink tongue lapped at my cheeks as his rear wiggled with excitement, doing little doggy-spins in his excitement.

Poor baby just couldn't control himself.

"Aw, I missed you too!" I cooed, dropping to the floor with a thump. He pressed his massive, furry self as close as he could get, still licking away.

"Get off of her, you big brute," growled Edward unhappily, yanking Jake away by his collar. I felt his hand grasp mine to help me up, drawing me into a hug.

Jake was not best pleased and insisted on being a member of the group by shoving his way between our legs and whacking Edward with his tail.

"I missed you," he said softly, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "I didn't expect you back until after eight, at least!"

"Carlisle got a flight right away," I said, shrugging. "We just made it."

"Well, I'm glad," said Edward easily. "You were gone too long."

"Mhm."

I completely, 100% agreed. I never wanted to leave this house again.

"I'm making dinner for you," he said bashfully.

"I know."

"It's not going so well."

"I know that too," I laughed, sniffing the air.

It smelled burnt.

"Well, in my defense, I've never cooked an entire meal by myself before," he said. "It takes practice, you know."

"Oh, I know," I said, stepping aside as Emmett appeared with some luggage. "You need to pay close attention to _everything."_ Edward just smiled at me and stepped away, no doubt to help Emmett and Carlisle with some bags.

"Oh Bella," said Alice softly, stepping out from the sitting room. She was small as she hugged me, and I couldn't help but notice that my head was higher than hers now.

"I think you grew," she pouted, pressing her hand on top of my head as if to shrink me back.

"Oh."

She just hugged me closer, stepping back with a little frown.

"You've got something pokey in your pocket," she teased gently, reaching down to remove it. With a pang of dread I watched as she pulled the folded envelope out, examining it.

"What's this?" she asked, turning it over.

"Um…"

She looked up at me, hearing my hesitation.

"A letter," I admitted. Her eyes narrowed intensely as she held it gingerly.

"From who?"

"From _him."_

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," she growled, looking tempted to shred it. "As if he had the nerve!"

"I want to read it, so don't you go ripping it up," I warned severely.

"Why on earth would you want to read it?" she asked, appalled. "Haven't you heard enough from him?"

"I want to know." I said, embarrassed, snatching it away.

"Know what?" asked Alice, trying very hard not to be surly. "What could he possibly tell you?"

"I just want to read it, okay?"

She sensed my awkwardness and thankfully, let it go.

"Okay."

I wanted to know if he was _sorry._ I hoped he was.

"Jazzy's burning chicken," she informed me softly, taking my hand. "Want to go and watch?"

"Sure," I laughed. The kitchen was just across from where we were and we made it there without incident, and I laughed when I found frazzled Jasper standing before a pan of scorching poultry.

"Hey, Alice, how do I—_Hi_ Bella," he said, sounding relieved. "You're home."

"Yeah," I said, and just as I would with Emmett, I reached out to hug him. Jasper was always kind and gentle with me.

"Well…" he said. "I hope you're not hungry right this second."

He sounded defeated.

"Well…" I teased, grinning. "That chicken looks appalling."

"Hey now," he said, wounded. "I tried."

"And failed," quipped Alice cheerfully. "How is it that both of you managed to burn everything?"

"I am a certified Kraft Dinner and ravioli expert," said Jasper haughtily. "My qualifications do not extend to chicken and bread."

"Kraft Dinner," Alice deadpanned.

"And I'm working on the ramen noodle certificate," he said, all seriousness.

"You're ridiculous," scoffed Alice. "How are you going to survive at school?"

"Kraft Dinner, ravioli and ramen noodles," he said easily, as if the answer were honest. "And maybe some frozen French fries."

"Oh Jasper, go on out of my kitchen," said Esme suddenly, disapproval hanging over her. "You burn anything else, and I'll have to send the two of you out grocery shopping."

"Yes ma'am," said Jasper easily, dropping the prongs he was using to flip the meat and darting right for the sitting room.

Jasper and Edward were _not_ grocery shoppers.

"Those boys, I tell you…" said Esme, shaking her head. "They're going to starve, come September."

"You've got that right," said Alice easily. "At least you taught _me_ something."

"Well I sure hope so," she quipped. "I'm sure you'll be the resident cook."

Alice grimaced, but said nothing in return.

"What will it be tonight, Bella?" asked Esme gently. "Chicken or meatballs?"

I beamed.

"Absolutely meatballs," I said easily. "They're the _greatest."_

"I figured as much," said Esme gently. "Why don't you take Alice and get unpacked?"

"Alright."

"I love you," she said softly, glancing back at me. "Both of you."

"Love you too, Esme," I murmured.

"Go on, now," she said, waving us away. "Go and get settled."

Alice helped me carry my bags upstairs, and of course, we had a tag along.

There was no stopping that dog.

ooOoo

"Have a good sleep, Bella," said Esme gently, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "Don't you be getting up too early, either. You look tired."

"Goodnight, Esme," I said softly. "Carlisle." He offered me a kind smile as I ascended the stairs, the last of the family besides Carlisle and Esme to retire. Jake followed sleepily after me, always ready to be where I was. When I made it to the third floor landing, I made sure to be quiet as I cracked my door open and slipped inside, locking it behind me.

The letter stared at me from the desk, and I knew just what it was I was doing tonight. I turned on the dim bedside lamp and turned down the covers, snatching the letter before I slid into bed.

With a quick rip I opened the envelope, grabbing the sheets of paper folded up inside. There were multiple sheets of lined paper, both sides covered with the familiar scrawl of Doctor Dupont. My anxiety rose significantly as I held it, but I didn't let it control my next move.

I unfolded the paper.

_Dear Isabella,_

I shivered.

_Under the direction of my physician here in the penitentiary, I have decided to write you a letter to explain my actions and offer my sincerest apologies for what I've done. I have requested that Jerald Handler, my attorney, ask you for a restorative justice meeting, but I know in my heart that this desire will never come to fruition. I know you don't want to see me, and it will be a miracle if you consent to read this letter._

_When you came to me, you were just a little girl. Felix brought you to me from a group home (if you didn't know that already) to settle a debt. You see, Isabella, I am not a poor man and have much money at my disposal. Felix needed a loan some years back to fund his narcotics business, and I, being generous, loaned him what he needed. Felix couldn't pay me back and I, being a vengeful man, threatened him. Felix knew that I was testing a new drug regimen on mental health patients and that I was looking for a control. Heidi, his then-girlfriend, ran a foster-home and had been under investigation for quite some time. When you were sent there, we knew it had to be a clerical error, and Felix took the opportunity to present you to me._

_It was a difficult thing, seeing a child in my facility, but as it were, I had no other options._

_Felix and I fought about using you for testing. You were so small, you see, and as a child, your brain chemistry was not at par with an adult's. It is my life's regret to admit that I gave in to Felix's arguments and decided to expose you to those drugs I was testing. I admit that I had full knowledge of my actions and the potential consequences to both your physical and mental wellbeing, and for that, I am truly sorry. You should have never been involved with us._

_As you grew, I began to grow rather fond of you. If you noticed, I often ordered Victoria to keep you in your solitary room, so that you wouldn't be exposed to the chaos of the ward room. You might think that I did this out of hate or spite, but it was only out of concern for your safety. Some of my other patients could be violent, you know, and that room was no place for a child._

_It pains me to say, however, that Victoria was not so fond of you. I think she was jealous of my affection for you, and as a result, she often treated you poorly. She had no right to treat you as she did. No right at all._

_As you grew up, you began to withdraw. For three years after you were brought to me, you would ask for your parents or siblings. You wanted to know when they were coming for you. Time and time again, I had to explain that your parents were gone and your siblings had forgotten you. You didn't understand. In my frustration, Isabella, I must admit that my next course of action was drastic and somewhat uncalled for. The date was arranged for your treatments, and afterwards, you had no memory of your past. Felix assisted me that day with the electrodes and the procedure, and after only ten minutes of archaic medical intervention, you were memory-free._

_As you began to mature, some of those memories came back, but never definitively. I can only hope that now, eight years post-treatment, you're able to regain some of that time I stole from you. I understand from news coverage that you've found your siblings and are living with their adoptive family somewhere near your birthplace. I'm happy for you._

_I know it will be hard for you to understand, but please know that I never condoned what Felix did to you. To sexually attack a child is an unforgivable crime, and one that I do not take lightly. There is nothing I can do about it now (nor could I have stopped him then), but please know that it was not my doing and—_

I had to stop reading. With great exuberance, I tossed the letter to the floor and curled up under my covers, mind reeling with thoughts.

I didn't know how to feel about that letter—on one hand, he was sorry. On the other, he was unapologetic.

It sounded like nothing was his fault when in truth, _everything_ was his fault.

I _hated_ him, and was very glad he would be spending the rest of his time in prison. I laid back on my pillow and flicked the light off, taking a moment to run my hand through the thick ruff of fur around Jake's neck.

"Goodnight, Jakey."

**A/N: Just the epilogue left to wrap things up a little bit.**


	64. Epilogue

**Dark Waltz- Epilogue**

**A/N: One last hurrah for Bella and the Cullens!**

BPOV

"Bella, we're going to be late!"

"Anna, find your shoes!"

"Mommy!"

"Charlie, enough! Get in the car!"

"Can someone grab Jayda, please?"

"I've got it!"

"Carlisle, go help your son!"

Chaos.

"Mommy!"

"Just a minute, Anna," I scolded gently. "Hold your horses."

"I don't got no horses!" she sassed back.

"You haven't got _any_ horses," I corrected gently. "Go and slip on your sandals."

"They don't match!" she complained, stomping her foot. I was beginning to wonder if this wasn't Alice's child instead of mine.

I took a deep breath.

"Then put your socks back on and get your runners on your feet."

"No!"

"Then we're not going," I said simply. "Shoes or bed." With a terrific pout I just _knew_ came from her father, she wheeled around and slipped her feet into the pink, Velcro Barbie sandals.

"There," she huffed.

"Now go wait out by the car with Uncle Em."

"Yeah! Uncle Em!" she cried, tearing through the front door. Her mess of dark curls was in disarray by the time she made it to my brother's side, and I rolled my eyes when he ruffled it more.

"Ready to go, Bell?" asked Alice breezily, holding the hand of her eight year old daughter, Jayda.

"I suppose so," I said. "Where are Jasper and Jack?"

"Right here," said Jasper quickly, putting the little blonde toddler on his feet. He waddled over to Alice, beaming his toothy grin.

"Come here, baby boy," she sighed, heaving him up. Jayda, bored by her brother, let go of her mother and meandered outside to Emmett and Anna.

"Good grief, where have you been playing?" Rosalie's voice floated down from the staircase, her arms wrapped around the chubby four-year old.

"Just in the yard, mom." I could almost _hear_ his eye roll.

"Well, get your butt out there and tell dad to get all of you in your seats."

"Yes ma'am!" said little Charlie eagerly, giving his mother a sarcastic salute before he disappeared out the door.

"Is Emma already outside?" asked Rose, slipping on a pair of heels.

"No, Mama," said a little voice, her big blue eyes peeking around the corner.

"Well then, go on out."

"Okay Mama."

Leave it to Emmett and Rosalie to end up with a set of polar opposite twins.

"Hey! There's my girl!" cried Emmett in his loud, booming voice as little Emma found her way out into the yard.

"All the kids outside?" asked Jasper, looking rather flustered.

"All accounted for," said Alice, laughing. "Did Jack give you a hard time?"

"Jack _always_ gives me a hard time," he sighed. "You ladies ready to go?"

"I guess so," I sighed. "Edward?"

"Coming!"

And down the stairs he came, dressed impeccably in a green buttoned shirt. With a quick kiss and a smile, he took my hand in his and pulled me towards the door.

"Jake, get it!" cried Anna eagerly. "Go on! Get it!"

Old Jake laid in the grass under a tree, not even leashed. Poor guy was too old to even try to run.

The ball bounced off of his nose.

Poor old guy.

"Jake, come on inside, baby," I called softly. At the sound of my voice, just as he always had, he perked right up and lugged himself off of the ground, making his way slowly over.

"Inside you go," I said, giving him a gentle pat. "We'll be back soon."

He didn't even look back, but rather collapsed on his thick bed with a huff. His knowing eyes watched me as I closed and locked Esme's door, leaving him behind.

"Emmett, I asked you to get them ready!" cried Rose angrily. "Jesus Christ, look at his pants!"

"Aw, come on, Rosie!" cried Emmett, ignoring her orders. "It's just a little dirt…"

"Get in the car, Charlie," said Rose dangerously. Charlie, with all his four-year-old wisdom, knew his mother meant business, and made it his goal to clamber into the black SUV. Emma, always behaved, was already seated and buckled, playing with her Leapster.

"Come on, monkeys," said Jasper easily, taking the hands of his own two children. Jayda adored her daddy and would follow him to the ends of the earth, but Jack was a Mama's boy, and often liked to push his father's buttons.

"Come on, Jackie-boy," said Jasper enticingly.

"No!"

"You get in the car, sweetheart, while I grab him," sighed Jasper, kissing Jayda's hair. She did as she was told and climbed into the back of the car, leaving Jasper to chase his son across the grass.

"No! No!" cried Jack unhappily when Jasper caught him and carried him over to the car.

"No!" His little fist shot out and whacked him right in the cheek, earning an impatient sigh.

"No hitting, Jackster."

"No!" Despite the baby's protests, Jasper managed to buckle him securely in his seat.

Annabel, always excitable, was already in our car, bouncing with excitement. She had just gotten the hang of buckling the belt around her new car seat, and was rather proud of herself.

"Come on, guys! We're going to be late!"

"We'll see you all when you get back," said Carlisle. "Drive safe."

"We will," I assured. "We'll call you when we get there."

"Are you ready, love?" asked Edward gently. "Got everything?"

"I'm sure I do," I said easily, leaning over to kiss him…

"Gross!"

We gave each other a brief peck before Edward turned to give Anna a mock stink-eye.

"I love your mama, Annabel, and if I want to kiss her, I sure as heck will."

"Gross!" she teased again. "No kissing!"

"If you say so, monster," said Edward, laughing. "You ready to fly?"

"Yeah!" she cried, clapping her hands together. "Is it a big plane?"

"One of them is," he said sincerely. "The one in Seattle is big."

"Where are we going now?"

"Port Angeles," I answered easily. "We fly out from PA and then get on a bigger plane in Seattle."

"Cool! Are we going over the ocean?"

"Yes, baby."

"Will we see sharks?"

"No."

"Why not?" she asked, disappointed.

"Because we'll be much too high."

"Will we see clouds?"

"You'll be flying over the clouds."

"Whoa! Awesome!"

Edward and I just chuckled.

"Mom, do you think…"

And so it went. All the way to Port Angeles.

By the time we all got off the plane in Seattle, Jack had been woken from his nap, Charlie was fighting with Anna and Emma, the gentlest of the children, was clinging to Emmett's hands.

"Emma, sweetie, you need to let me go," said Emmett, trying to get through the metal detector. Emma clung to him as he tried to pry her off, escaping quickly through the detector.

Of course he beeped.

Emma started to cry.

"Come here, sweetheart," I said, offering her my hand. She took it easily and rested her head on my arm, watching as the security officer made my brother take his belt off.

"What if your pants fall down, daddy?" asked Emma sweetly, watching as he held his pants up and tired again.

"Well, then I guess everyone's getting an eyeful."

"Emmett!"

"What's an eyeful, mommy?" asked Emma.

"Nothing, sweetheart."

Emmett just laughed.

"Next," said the guard, glancing at Emma.

"Go on through to your daddy," I said. "It's alright."

She, fearful of the beeping, darted through without any noise and made it back to Emmett.

ooOoo

"You ready to go, Bella?" asked Edward softly, grabbing up his things. He was the last one through airport security and as it stood, we were running late.

"Come on, Anna," he said, scooping her up as we jogged through the airport. We made it to our gate on time, and because we were lucky, we made it just in time for first-class boarding.

"Thank you and have a pleasant flight, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen."

"Is this the big plane, dad?"

"Yes. You sit here."

"Okay." Anna plunked herself down as Edward fastened her belt, pulling out her collection of small books. Rosalie, Emmett and their two kids sat just ahead of us, with Jasper, Alice, Jayda and Jack right behind us. As business class people began to file in, it became another task to keep Charlie's feet out of the aisle.

He was a handful, that one.

"Buckled in, Anna?"

"Yes daddy."

"Books away?"

"Mhm."

"Ready Bella?"

"Of course," I said, smiling.

I'd never been more ready in my life.

"Please buckle your seatbelts as flight 221 direct from Seattle to Rome prepares for takeoff," said the flight attendant. With those words in the air, I sat back in my seat, clutching the armrests as the attendants circulated.

The plane straightened out on the long patch of runway, engines rolling.

And then, we flew.

**A/N: Thanks again for everyone who read and/or reviewed this story. It's all been much appreciated! I'll be focusing my attention in IHITV now until that's done. I'm still thinking about a DW prequel, though nothing is set in stone yet. **

**Thanks again for supporting this story!**


	65. Prequel is Up!

****Hi everyone! Just letting you know that the first chapter of the _Dark Waltz_ prequel is up. You can find it on my profile. Go on and check it out! I'm working on chapter 3 as we speak.


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